


Miles to go Before I Sleep

by Spannah339



Category: Video Blogging RPF, jacksepticeye
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Torture, Platonic Relationships, Whump, add more tags as we go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2019-08-29 00:04:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 27,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16733211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spannah339/pseuds/Spannah339
Summary: Jackieboy Man has been missing for so long even he is losing hope of ever finding his way home. Henrik Schneeplestien is struggling to cope after the events that left Jack in a coma. Chase Brody is trying to piece his life together after it crumbled around him. Marvin is feeling separated from his family. Jameson Jackson is fighting his own demons. And Jack is sleeping through it all.Ev̡ęr͝ythi̸n͏g is go̡i͞ng̢ acc̕ord͏i̶ng ţo̕ ̡p͞la̡n͠.͞ ҉(Discontinued and Uncompleted)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't do this alone, so I wanna thank @xtracheesy, @dinadinu and @a-septic-writer-of-art on Tumblr for helping me, supporting me, Beta reading and drawing art!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we go! A new story, a new adventure and I am very, very excited! If anyone is interested, you can find the same story on Tumblr (link: bear with me it's not quite up yet ^-^ )  
>   
> (Awesome banner done by @dinadinu!)

Perhaps he had been cocky. Perhaps he had let his guard down. Perhaps someone had found his weakness. Whatever the case, Jackieboy Man found himself in a small cell, trapped. The cell was three paces along one wall, four along the other. Rectangular. A separate, much smaller room for relieving himself off one of the walls. He knew because there wasn’t much else to do but pace. 

He tried to escape - of course he did. But somehow, his captors - masked men who were clearly working for a higher power - seemed to know his every weakness. They knew him far too well. Food was scarce, they kept him hungry - kept him desperate.     

And then  _ he _ started visiting, about two months after his capture. The monster in the night. The creature in the dark. The glitch in the system. He taunted Jackie, he laughed and glitched and told him about his friends. He reminded the former superhero that he was  _ weak _ . That he was unable to protect his friends. That he had  _ failed _ .

“Yơu̸ w̨e͜re͢ e҉asy tơ ̧ca̛p̧t͟ur̵e ̧-̧ ͡e͞asy̕ ͢to ̴remov͜e҉, F͡a͜͏r t̶̵o̕o̸҉͟ ͞e̡a͞s̸̕͘y̵̸,” the glitch would say, giggling. “And͜ ͘I̸  _ ͡k҉ill̡e̷d  _ him͢. I ҉sli͘t̶ his thr̨oat – ͠he̛ wa̷s͟  _ ̡we̴a͡k͡ _ . ̸W͘e͠ak̷ j͢us̸t͢ like ͢you͜.”

He would leave, leave Jackie in a deadly silence, a silence filled with thoughts and images of the things the creature had done to his friends filling his mind. He had failed them. He should have been there. This was all his fault.

The physical torture didn’t start until about six months after his capture. Until then, the monster had been content to laugh, to gloat, to watch the guilt cover Jackie’s face as he realised that his friends had been hurt and it was all his fault. But then he got bored.

Jackie wasn’t allowed to sleep for days at a time, kept awake despite his exhaustion. Food was kept from him, even water withheld for a time. That was only the beginning. 

Jackie was used to pain – it was part of his job description as a superhero, after all. But this glitch seemed to know just how to make the pain unbearable, to leave him weeping and weak after each visit.

He lost track of time not long after. The pain often caused him to black out, and he didn’t know for how long. The food came more sporadically as well and he wondered if maybe that was part of the torture – to disorient him, to make him lose track of what day it was.

Pain was the only constant here, and he was beginning to lose hope he would ever be free.

Then, one day, things changed.

Doors clanging and the sound of footsteps jerked Jackie from a fitful sleep. He pressed himself against the wall, alert and scared – scared that it would be the glitch, scared that it  _ wouldn’t _ be. Life had gone on so long without change he wasn’t sure if he wanted it.

His door was pulled open and he shrank back, heart thumping and the cuts and burns, fresh or otherwise, throbbed painfully. But it wasn’t the glitch – instead, a body was flung into the room and the door slammed shut again.

Jackie stayed still for a long time, waiting. Waiting for the glitch to return, for the motionless figure on the ground to move. The figure was dressed in a white coat, green hair a startling colour in the dullness of his cell. And he seemed familiar.

When nothing happened for a long time, Jackie slowly moved. He pushed himself up, crouching low and in a fighting stance – his muscle memory unable to forget the years of training he had gone through despite being stuck here for so long. He dropped down beside the other man and examined him.

It was Henrik. The good doctor – his friend. He wasn’t sure what to think. On the one hand, he was no longer alone. He could get news of what was actually happening with his friends. His fading memories of a life before the pain were true.

But at the same time, his friend was here with him. His friend was stuck in this hell. And Jackie would rather he be stuck here for the rest of his life than have any of his friends go through even a few days of what he had.

He crouched down beside Henrik, rolling him over and checking his pulse. He was alive – but didn’t seem to be in good condition. His throat was bruised,  his skin pale, his breaths shallow.

“Hen –” His voice was rough and caught in his throat – he had barely said anything for who knows how long. He had only been screaming. “Henrik?” he managed finally, the sound barely a whisper. The doctor shifted, muttering something in German under his breath. Jackie shook him gently.

             He suddenly shot up, shouting loudly. “ _ Nein! Lass mich allein! _ ” Jackie scrambled back, the sudden movement sending a shaft of fear rushing through him. The two men sat pressed against opposite walls, staring at each other.

             “Jackie?” Henrik asked after a moment of silence. “Is – is that you?  _ Nein _ . It cannot be.”

             “Hey, Henrik,” Jackie rasped, trying to force his lips into a smile. It was more challenging than he had anticipated – there wasn’t much to smile about here and he’d forgotten what it felt like.

             “How are you alive?”

             “Honestly, I – I don’t know,” Jackie admitted, looking down. “ _ He _ doesn’t want me dead, I guess.”

             Silence fell between them. Jackie wanted to ask questions, to ask if Jack was alright – if he was  _ alive _ or if the glitch had actually killed him. If Chase and Stacy had sorted out their differences. If Marvin was any better at magic.

             Tears were pricking his eyes – how much had he missed while stuck in this dark hole? Did his friends even remember him?

             “Jackie?” Henrik asked, moving across the room. He sat down beside Jackie and laid a hand on the superhero’s shoulder. He flinched away, unused to gentle touches. “What has he done to you,” the doctor muttered.

             “I – I’m sorry,” Jackie said.

             “What for?” The question took Jackie by surprise –  _ what for? _ For  _ everything! _ It was all his fault. He had got his friends hurt. He was the reason Henrik was here. If he had been there to protect his friends. If he had fought against the glitch harder. If he had done something more. It was  _ his fault _ .

             “I – it’s my fault,” he said softly. “I should have been stronger, should have resisted him more! I should have done  _ something _ .” And he was crying, tears running silently down his face.

             “Of course it’s not your fault,” Henrik said. “He’s too powerful for even you to take on alone.” He shook his head, running a hand through his hair and rubbing his neck. “I still can’t believe you’re alive.”

             “How – how long has it been?” Jackie asked softly, ignoring the first part of Henrik’s comment. Of course it was his fault. Hadn’t the glitch made that clear enough?

             “Almost a year.”

             A year. Almost a year of this darkness, of this pain, of this hell. How much longer could he last?

             “What happened?” he asked, almost whispering the words. A lot could happen in a year – were all his friends still alive? Or had his weakness caused them pain as well?

“A... a lot,” Henrik said quietly. He ran a hand across his neck again and fell silent for a long moment. Jackie felt a moment of fear – was it really that bad?

“Chase… well… he and Stacy had a divorce. It – it was messy. He… well, I…” he trailed off, seeming hesitant to continue. Taking a breath, he finally spoke again. “I had to stitch up a hole in his head… Self - self-inflicted.”

Jackie lowered his eyes. He should have been there for his friend. He should have been there to support him, to help him through his time of need.

“Is he okay?” he asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

“Not really. But he’s alive.”

The silence fell again, and Jackie tried to word the question he had. Or bring up the courage to ask it.

“A – and… and Jack?” he said quietly. “ _ He _ said he had…” he trailed off, not wanting to put into words what that monster had told him.

Henrik muttered under his breath in his mother language.

“That monster tried. Not long you vanished. We were all preoccupied, no one noticed what was happening until it was too late. He… nearly died.” The doctor closed his eyes, as if remembering what had happened. “I managed to save him but… that monster didn’t give up. And this time I – I…” he trailed off, looking down at his hands. Jackie noticed suddenly that they were shaking.

Had something happened to Jack? He should have been there. He should have been there to protect his friend, to keep him from harm. That was his  _ job _ and he had failed it. He had failed.

“I – is he alright?” he asked quietly.

“I… I don’t know,” Henrik said, as if forcing the words out. “I couldn’t… I couldn’t save him… He was going to die and all I could do was put him into a medical coma. I don’t… I don’t know if it worked. Or if he’ll ever wake up. I – I should have done more!”

Silence fell again. Jackie wasn’t sure how to answer – obviously it wasn’t Henrik’s fault. It was Jackie’s – if he had been there… If he had done something more…

“What now?” Henrik asked. The words pulled Jackie back to reality, to the hard stones under him, to the pain still piercing through him. He closed his eyes, a shudder running through him. It would only be a matter of time before the glitch returned.

“We survive,” he said quietly.

“No,” Henrik said after a pause. “We escape.”

Jackie glanced up at him, shaking his head. He had thought like that, once. He had been cocky and brave, throwing himself at whatever the glitch sent his way, so sure that he would get out.

But a year had passed. Why would they have more of a chance now?

“He’s too powerful,” he said quietly. “We can’t escape. I’m sorry, Henrik. I should have done more. But you’re stuck here with me now.”

Henrik looked over at him, a deep sadness in his eyes. Jackie couldn’t meet his gaze – he looked far too similar to the glitch.

“Jackie,” he said gently. “We will get out. I promise, with two of us here we have more of a chance. We won’t be here for long.”

Jackie didn’t answer, just stared at the floor. He didn’t allow himself to hope, not here. Not after what he had been through. But maybe they could get out. Or at least survive for just a little longer.

~*~

             Eight months. Eight months of pain from their captor. (Anti, Henrik said, was his real name. But names had power and to give him one seemed to give him more. So they simply called him ‘the glitch’.) Eight months and Jackie could tell Henrik had almost lost hope. They sat together in one of the few moments the glitch gave them when he wasn’t tormenting the other. Back to back, pressed up against each other, wanting the security of the other’s presence.

             They were quiet, which wasn’t unusual. Talking wasn’t always needed, they shared the same pain, they understood each other without needing words. Eight months of being trapped in a cell brought you closer than you ever thought you could be.

             “What are we going to do?” Jackie asked softly. He often asked that, wanting to hear Henrik’s optimism. Wanting to think that maybe there was a chance for hope. But after eight months, Henrik’s optimism was lacking.

             “I don’t know,” he said softly, for the first time – usually he could think of some kind of plan. “I – I don’t know.”

             The words felt like a punch to Jackie’s gut. Henrik always had a plan, he was always the one giving Jackie hope, if only a little. To hear him so… broken hurt Jackie more than anything the glitch could do to him.

             “I think he’s distracted,” he said, after a long silence. “He’s planning something… either with us or with the community. I – I don’t know what but last time he was this distracted you showed up.”

             Henrik muttered a curse.

             “We have to stop him before he can get anyone else,” he said. Jackie agreed – the thought of another of his friends sharing this hellhole with him terrified him.

             “But what can we do?” he asked. “How can we stop him?”

             “We escape,” Henrik said finally. “If he’s distracted we can come up with a plan. We can slip past him while he’s focused on the community. We can do  _ something _ .”

             “Do you have a plan?” Jackie asked, shifting to glance over his shoulder. Henrik shrugged.

             “Not yet…” he said slowly, which to Jackie said that he was coming up with a plan. He settled back down, leaning his aching body against his friend and closing his eyes.

             “We’ll do it, Jackie,” the doctor said quietly. Jackie didn’t answer, his body overcome by exhaustion. At least Henrik was sounding more hopeful. Maybe they  _ would _ be able to escape.

             Their plan was put in place the next day. Using the long ago shattered frames of his glasses, Henrik had fashioned a lockpick. They hadn’t been able to use it, for fear of the glitch noticing, but with him distracted there was a chance. And, as Henrik had put it “What do we have to lose?” It was a last ditch effort, a final attempt for freedom. If it didn’t work, there was no hope.

             Fear and nervousness curled in Jackie’s chest as he watched Henrik slowly jiggle the lock. He sucked in a breath as the lock clicked and Henrik slowly pushed the door open. But he refused to get too excited – he had escaped from his cell before. The glitch always returned him.

             They stepped out together, watching each other’s backs. Slowly, they made their way through the damp halls of their prison, searching for a way out. Jackie’s heart was beating so fast – what if they did it? What if they did escape?

             He could go home.

             They rounded a corner and saw the stairs, rising up – high into freedom. The two men exchanged a look and began to make their way up, slowly, nervously, both fighting back the urge to break into a run.

             Jackie’s leg was aching, it still wasn’t healed from when the glitch had broken it about a week ago. He was beginning to breathe quickly, only after a few steps. Once he could have bounded up those stairs without even thinking about it – now they seemed endless.

             They reached the top of the steps and found themselves in another long hall – but this time Jackie could see light at the end of it. A soft breeze flew through the hall, causing goose bumps to pickle Jackie’s skin.

             “The end,” Henrik whispered beside him and the urge to run grew stronger in Jackie. They moved as quickly as they dared, hurrying down the hall. Jackie was nervous, his gut twisting and turning as he tried to push back the hope that was rising in him. They were so close.

             The exit came into view – it seemed to come out under what seemed like a bridge. Distant noises came from above – cars rushing past, people talking –  _ normal life _ . Jackie had never made it this far.

             Henrik suddenly broke into a run and Jackie scrambled to follow him. If they could just get out, just get to some form of civilization they would be safe. The glitch wouldn’t dare follow them there. They were so close.

             Jackie’s heart was beating quickly as he ran, fighting the stabbing pain of his leg, fighting his exhaustion, pushing his body. Henrik burst out into the air and Jackie was about to follow him.

             With a sharp flash of pain, his leg buckled and he tumbled to the ground with a cry. Henrik turned back and an alarm blared through the underground complex. With a sickening thud, a barred door slammed into place between them.

             Jackie stumbled to his feet, lunging forward in a vain effort to escape. But it was too late.

             “No!” he cried, gripping the bars. He was so close. So close to freedom. So close to escaping. Henrik grabbed his hand from the other side, his eyes roving around the door.

             “We can open it,” he said, sounding panicked. Jackie nodded, searching for any sign of opening on his side. But a noise caught his attention, a noise that filled him with dread. A giggle, a high-pitched, insane giggle.

             The glitch was coming for him.

             They didn’t have time. The glitch would come for him, and then he would go after Henrik. They would be back to where they had begun and they would be punished.

             “Go!” he said suddenly, trying not to think about what that meant.

             “ _ Nein _ ! I am not leaving you, Jackie,” Henrik said, his face full of fear and alarm.

             “You have to go! Please, Henrik!” Jackie said, speaking quickly. “I’ll hold him off. Get out of here! Please!” Tears were starting to fall again – he was so close. So close to freedom, so close to leaving behind the pain and despair. So close and yet he wasn’t going to escape. “Please.”

             “I – I. No. No I’m not leaving you.  _ Wir gehen zusammen.  _ I can’t let you face him alone.”

             “I can’t get out!” Jackie shouted. Maybe he could bear it a little better if he knew Henrik wasn’t trapped with him. “Just go!”

             Henrik stepped back, eyes wide.

             “Jackie –”

             “GO!” the superhero shouted. With one last hesitation, Henrik turned and ran, stumbling over the uneven ground and vanishing from Jackie’s view. At the same time, something grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked his head back, bringing tears to his eyes and a gasp of pain.

             He was thrown to the ground, the glitch standing over him. Shakily, he tried to push himself up, tried to fight, but the glitch kicked at his broken leg and he screamed, pain flashing through his body.

             He gritted his teeth, remembering the look of despair Henrik had given him as he ran off. Remembering all the taunts and accusations the glitch had thrown at him. Remembering how he had been too weak last time – he couldn’t this time. He had to buy Henrik sometime.

             So, leaning heavily against the wall, he struggled to his feet. The glitch just smiled, moving in a way a human shouldn’t be able to.

             “W̴h̛at ̛d̨o ̵y͞ou t͠h̸ink͘ wi̕ll ḩa͝ppen ̶to̴ you̶r̢ ͘fri͘en̴d,” he said mockingly. “I͘’v҉e le͝f̧t h҉im̨ a ̸g̕i͟f̛t̡ – ̷a̡ ̨troj҉a̧n͟ h͟ors̶e̶.” That horrible giggle filled the room as the glitch spun his knife, flickering in front of Jackie’s gaze.

             “You won’t win,” he panted. “They will defeat you.”

             “W͟i̛l͜l̶ ̕the̶y?” the glitch said. “Tḩey̕’r̕e ̕weak and bli͢n҉d! All̛ of҉ ͝th͜em. ̷And ͞the͞y wi̷ll҉ a͝l҉l̷ d̶ie.”

             Jackie gritted his teeth and lunged, his fist in a ball. The glitch flickered, catching his hand. Jackie let out a scream of pain as his hand was bent backwards. He was forced to his knees, his vision flickering from the pain.

             The glitch kicked him again and he let out a gasp of air – sure his ribs had been broken. Then a cold metal was touched to his neck and he looked up to see the glitch, crouching at his level, his knife at Jackie’s throat

             “Y̶o͡u’r͞ę ͢ju̢st my̧ t҉oy̴,” he giggled, and Jackie felt his blood run cold. Why did he ever think he could fight against this monster? Why did he ever try?

             But Henrik had escaped. Henrik was free. Henrik didn’t have to go through the pain and horror of the last eight months. Henrik was free.

             So he looked the glitch in the eye – not caring for the consequences.

             “Never,” he hissed and spat.

             The pain that came was expected. The glitch let out a hiss of anger and buried the knife into Jackie’s side. He slumped to the ground with a cry of pain, gripping the wound as pain shot through him. It wasn’t fatal – the glitch knew better than that. But it still hurt, blurred his vision, consumed his thoughts.

             He could do nothing but curl in a ball as the glitch continued to rain blows on him, kicks landing all over his body and pain becoming his whole world once again.

             But Henrik had escaped. Henrik was free. And Jackie could live at least a little longer with that knowledge.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henrik glanced back as he began to slowly make his way out of the ally. Jackie was still in there. For a long moment, he considered going back, remembering his hopeless expression of his friend as he shouted for him to leave. He had abandoned his brother.
> 
> But he couldn't go back. He couldn't possibly take on the glitch when he was at his best - there was no way he would be able to help in his current state. He needed to get home, to tell the others their brother was alive. To make a plan and then return.
> 
> “I will come back, Jackieboy,” he promised quietly, hoping he would have the courage to keep the vow. “I will not abandon you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (aaand Chapter two! As always, my amazing betas are dinadinu xtracheesy, and a-septic-writer-of-art on tumblr, with the banner by dinadinu)
> 
> [](http://tinypic.com?ref=2j2cc4k)

Henrik ran. His feet pounded on the ground, slipping and skidding on the uneven terrain, his breath coming in short bursts as he sped away; short, gasping breaths.

He tried to tell himself that he didn't hear a scream of pain from behind him, tried to tell himself Jackie would be fine alone. But he knew that was a lie. And yet he couldn't bring himself to turn back. He couldn't bring himself to return in an attempt to give Jackie some hope - some comfort. It felt so good to be free he refused to go back, even at the cost of Jackie. 

Out of nowhere, he found himself stumbling into a street, coming to an abrupt stop at the onslaught of sound and life. People, moving past him, talking loudly. Cars flashing by, bright points of noise.

He collapsed against the wall of the alley, his legs suddenly unable to hold him. Shaking, he tried to hold himself upright, to keep moving, but his legs refused to cooperate and he slid down the rough stone of the wall.

A soft breeze washed over him and he closed his eyes, a shudder running through him. The air was clear, alive and he was  _ free _ .

Something didn't quite add up, but he didn't want to think about that quite yet. He wanted to enjoy his freedom, to enjoy being away from the dark and the pain.

He needed to get home. He needed to find his friends, to make sure they were all okay. To check on Jack, to be there if Chase needed him. He needed to go home.

Taking a deep breath, he forced his aching limbs to move, struggling to his feet and leaning heavily on the wall. The adrenaline of his escape had begun to fade and he was exhausted. But he had to keep moving.

Henrik glanced back as he began to slowly make his way out of the ally. Jackie was still in there. For a long moment, he considered going back, remembering his hopeless expression of his friend as he shouted for him to leave. He had abandoned his brother.

But he couldn't go back. He couldn't possibly take on the glitch when he was at his best - there was no way he would be able to help in his current state. He needed to get home, to tell the others their brother was alive. To make a plan and  _ then  _ return.

“I will come back, Jackieboy,” he promised quietly, hoping he would have the courage to keep the vow. “I will not abandon you.”

People moved past him in a blur, strangers casting him odd looks of concern and irritation. He stumbled forward, unsure of where he was even going. One hand was pressed to the walls of the buildings beside him, steadying him, the other stretched out in front of him in a vain attempt to guide himself.

He could already tell he wasn’t going to make it far. He was exhausted, lost and scared - running blind. But he kept pushing himself, kept forcing himself to take another step. Just one more. Forcing himself to get as far away as he could. 

An uneven patch of the pavement caused him to stumble and for a moment he was falling, unable to stop himself. Then hands grabbed his shoulders, halted his movement. He flinched back, trying to regain his balance and pull away, expecting the rough handling he had experienced for the last eight months.

“Henrik?” The voice was familiar enough for him to stop, to look up at who had caught him. His saviour’s face was swimming before him, a mask disguising most of his features.

“M - arvin?” he muttered, gripping his brother’s arms tightly, assuring himself he  _ was _ real. He couldn’t think, pain throbbing through him, his mind foggy. Now that Marvin was here, someone he knew - someone he trusted - the adrenaline and fear keeping him moving was vanishing rapidly. 

“Henrik wh - what? Is it you? How are you here? What happened?” Marvin’s voice seemed to be distant, far away. Henrik tried to focus but he couldn’t, he felt himself slipping into a darkness. He clung to Marvin, sudden fear enveloping him.

“Can’t go back,” he muttered. “Help.”

He was vaguely aware of Marvin calling his name, asking more questions, talking to him, but he couldn’t focus. Pain took over and he slipped into a merciful nothingness.

~*~

_He was standing in the operating room, hands steady as he worked on the patient in front of him. He tried to keep his calm, but something was wrong – something was very wrong._

_He wasn’t going to save Jack – it wasn’t going to work. He couldn’t do it, no matter how hard he tried. The beeping of the heart monitor became a countdown, ticking the seconds as he failed._

_“Y̵o̴u ca͟n'͡t ͘sa̸v̕e ̡hi͢m.”_

_The words echoed through the room and Henrik started, fear making his heart pound. He had to save him, he had to! He wasn’t going to let Jack down._

_But a low, single tune of death filled the room and the heart monitor flatlined._

_“No!” he cried, turning back to Jack. His face was still, lifeless and after a moment shifted, turning into Jackie’s face. Then Marvin’s. Then Chase’s. “No!”_

_“You̴ c̵an̶'͡t͘ s̨a͜ve͏ ̸a͡n͜y of ̕th̢e͠m͠. You͞'re a fa͝i̴l͘u̶re̕."_

_“No._ Nein _– I – I can’t. I tried… I.” He stumbled back from the operating table, head swimming. Suddenly the monster himself was standing in front of him and he cringed, covering his face and shrinking back._

_But the glitch grabbed his hands, pulling them down and cupping his chin – his dead and emotionless eyes glinting at him._

_“You'̷re͢ ͞weak,” he snarled and shoved Henrik back. He slammed against a wall, shaking and trying to protect himself with his arms over his head._

_“Please. Please stop. No. I  -_ Ich habe versucht _! I couldn’t – I…_ Bitte _!”_

“Henrik! Bro, calm down! You’re okay. Settle down!”

A voice shouted his name and hands were pressed onto him. Henrik shuddered, shaking and still calling out. He flailed, trying to free himself from the arms that pinned him down, from the voice still echoing in his head.

“No! No please!”

“Dude! It’s me, it’s Chase. You’re safe man. You’re safe.”

He began to become more aware of his surroundings and started to settle, chest heaving. The operating room was gone – so was the glitch. He was… safe?

He shuddered, trying to regain his breath and tell himself he was really safe. His heart was still beating quickly, but the animal panic had faded. He glanced to his left to see Chase, hovering anxiously beside his bed.

Chase. It was really Chase. His brother was still here, still alive. And the presence of Chase meant he was really free – he was really safe.

“You good?” his brother asked, and Henrik nodded slowly, memories of what had happened slowly filtering back. “What happened to you?”

He looked away, unable to meet Chase’s eyes and shuddering at the memory of his time in the clutches of that monster.

“Henrik?” Chase prompted and he shook his head, not wanting to talk about it. They fell into a slightly uneasy silence, Henrik unsure of what to say. He wanted to ask about what had happened, about the state of Jack’s well-being, how things with Stacy were going, so many questions. But he couldn’t bring himself to voice any of them.

“Marvin said he found you wandering the streets as he was going to his performance on the weekend,” Chase said slowly. Henrik glanced over at him. He had a vague memory of Marvin finding him, but everything after that was hazy.

“What happened?” he managed to ask. Chase seemed to brighten a little at the sound of his voice and he stepped back, sinking into a chair. He pulled his hat off his head and began to roll it in his hands as he spoke. 

“Marv was headed to a performance and found you stumbling down the streets. He called me up and I took you home. We’ve just been trying to keep you alive since then…” He paused, the hat frozen in his hands for a moment. “What happened, bro?”

“Don't... don't want to talk about it,” Henrik answered. He knew he would have to tell them what had happened – or at least parts of it – but he wasn’t ready to at this stage.

Chase nodded, rolling the hat up his arm and catching it.

“I’m just glad you’re safe,” he said quietly. “We really thought you were dead. That we’d… that we’d lost you as well.” He seemed subdued, stopping with the hat tricks and holding it limply in his lap.

“What… what has happened?” Henrik asked, closing his eyes briefly. The world seemed to be spinning, pain throbbing through his whole body. But it was less than he had felt before. It wasn’t agony, wasn’t unbearable.

Chase shrugged, resuming his fiddling with the hat. He was quiet a moment, thinking, focusing on the cap as he flipped it on the back of his hand.

“Jack’s in a coma,” he said shortly, catching the hat and dropping his hands to his lap again. A mixture of emotions rushed through Henrik – Jack was _alive_. That meant he hadn’t failed – he had saved Jack’s life.

But at the same time, he was in a coma. That was Henrik’s fault – he had failed to save Jack’s life and had been forced to induce a medical coma to prevent him from dying. But was that really a better fate?

“Marvin’s much the same. Ever since…” he trailed off for a moment, then continued talking. “He’s focused on his own things. I honestly don’t see much of him. It’s basically just me and JJ at home. Well, when the doctor isn’t here.”

Two names were unfamiliar in what Chase had said, but Henrik chose to focus on the latter.

“The doctor?” he asked.

“Yeah. We needed someone to look after Jack and we couldn’t really send him to a hospital because, well… everything’s supposed to be fine, right?”

He was right – last time Jack had been attacked they had discussed the need to keep his condition a secret from the community. Their panic and fires would only give the glitch more strength and that wasn’t something they had wanted.

“So we hired someone… not, not a replacement,” Chase continued. “We just needed someone to make sure Jack was okay – he’s been helping you as well. Calls himself Doctor Jacksepticeye. I don’t…” he hesitated, rolling the hat around his hands again. “I don’t like him much, but we didn’t have much choice.”

“I shall show him who the real doctor around here is,” Henrik said firmly, a slight scowl covering his face at the thought of an imposter in his domain. Chase grinned, flipping the hat onto his head.

“I look forward to it,” he said.

Henrik felt the exhaustion begin to creep in again, but he fought it off. He didn’t want to sleep again – something he hadn’t felt for a long time. Sleep had been an escape from the pain, a comforting darkness. But now – now he was afraid. He was afraid of the demons that lurked in the dark of his dreams.

“And who is… the other?” He had forgotten the name Chase had mentioned, but his friend had seemed to light up a little when he mentioned the stranger. And he lit up again as Henrik asked.

“JJ? He’s great. He showed up not long after you… left. I honestly don’t know if I would have… well, he’s helped me out a lot – and he’s one of us. He’s been a big help running the channel. I’ve had to take over most of it, what with Marvin busy all the time and you gone. And Jackie…” he trailed off, glancing at the ground.

Henrik blinked, cursing himself for not saying anything sooner. Telling Chase Jackie was alive should have been his first priority. Why hadn’t he done it before?

“Jackie is not dead,” he said. At least, he wasn’t dead when he had been abandoned. If that was still the case, Henrik didn’t know.

“What?” Chase’s head snapped up so fast his hat was almost knocked off his head. “He’s alive? What – how? Where? What happened?” He leaned forward, gripping the side of his chair, eyes dancing with hope.

“ _Ja_ , he is alive. At least… he was when I left him.” He fell into silence, not really wanting to go into what had happened. “We need to find him, he cannot stay where he is.”

“Yeah. Yeah, totally! He’s alive.” Chase sank back into his seat, shaking his head, a slow smile covering his face. “We thought both of you were dead. But… you’re both alive.”

Henrik could see the hope growing on Chase’s face, and for a moment he allowed himself to share that hope. But only for a moment – he knew how powerful the glitch was, he knew that things going back to the way they were was unlikely. A happy ending was unlikely.

He blinked, trying to stay awake, but the pull of sleep seemed too strong. He didn’t want to sleep again, he didn’t want to face the nightmares and the memories. He wanted to keep talking to Chase, to be comfortable in the knowledge that _he was safe_.

But even Chase noticed his exhaustion. He stood, patting the edge of Henrik’s bed.

“You need to sleep, bro,” he said. “Get up your strength and you can help us find Jackieboy.”

“Don’t leave,” Henrik asked softly, reaching a hand out. Being alone scared Henrik – being alone meant the glitch would be coming soon, meant that Jackie was being tormented and it would be his turn soon. Being alone meant pain and fear. He didn’t want that. Chase hesitated a moment, but nodded, settling back into the seat and with the comforting knowledge that he was safe he slipped back into a fitful sleep.

It took him nearly a month to recover enough to be able enough to give Jack the care that was needed. It was a surreal month and took him a long time to fully realise that he was out. That he wasn’t going to wake up back in the cell, back to the pain. It was strange to wake instead to friends, to laughter, to _hope_.

Chase introduced him to JJ early into the month. The newcomer had politely tipped his hat, speaking through enchanted speech slides that appeared beside his head.

“Marv came up with a spell that allowed him to speak, in a way,” Chase explained.

“ **It is a fine thing to be able to communicate!** ” JJ added. “ **Especially with those who do not know sign language.** ”

Henrik quickly decided that he liked the newest ego. And on the same note, he decided he greatly disliked the doctor whose care he was under.

Doctor Jacksepticeye was full of himself and didn’t care much for his patients. He did what needed to be done to help him to recovery, but it was clear he didn’t care much, it was clear he was trying too hard.

“He’s making a video,” Chase muttered in answer to Henrik’s question of where the doctor was about a month after Henrik's return. Chase was sitting at the table, head in his hands and looking miserable – Henrik was pretty sure he had been drinking the night before.

He had intended to wait until after the recording, to pull doctor Jacksepticeye aside and send him away without the cameras on him. The less the community saw of what was happening with the egos the better.

But the things the so-called ‘doctor’ were saying infuriated him so much he couldn’t help himself. He forced the door to the recording room open and ripped his mask off his face.

“Wha – who are you?”

“I am the good doctor,” he replied, pointing an accusing finger at the imposter. “And that is my chair!”

It felt good to be back.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chase was beginning to lose hope that they would ever find Jackie. He was beginning to lose hope that Jack would ever wake up and he was beginning to lose hope that Henrik would ever be able to sleep the whole night through without waking up because of nightmares.
> 
> But then, one day, things started to look up.
> 
> “One night, alright? And then they come right back home.” Stacy stood in the doorway, arms crossed as she stared across the doorway at Chase, who had a hand on each of his kid’s shoulders. He could hardly believe that this was happening and he wasn’t about to lose his chance at seeing his children so he nodded.
> 
> “Of course, I’ll take good care of them. We’ll have loads of fun.” He squeezed their shoulders and looked down at them. Peter nodded excitedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little late this week, I know. Was going to post yesterday but the livestream happened so I thought today woudl be better. Enjoy! (As always, banner by the amazing Dinadinu)
> 
>   
> 

Things seemed to change for the better – at least a little – once Henrik was back. The running of the channel went a little smoother with an extra pair of hands, someone who actually  _ wanted _ to help, unlike the so-called doctor who had been helping over the past nine months.

Things still weren’t _great_ though. Jack still didn’t wake up, despite the much more adept hands of Schneeplestein caring for him. Stacy still refused to let Chase see his children and Jackie was still gone. On top of all that, Chase was still suffering from the effects of his suicide attempt, effects he wasn’t sure would ever go away. Life wasn’t great, but it was a _little_ better and Chase could bare it a little more.

After learning Jackie was still alive, Marvin had been tireless searching for him, Henrik and Chase helping as much as they could, though they were busy with their own tasks. But he had found nothing, no matter how long he was out, no matter how much he scoured the area Henrik had been found. There was no sign of the superhero.

Chase was beginning to lose hope that they would ever find him. He was beginning to lose hope that Jack would ever wake up and he was beginning to lose hope that Henrik would ever be able to sleep the whole night through without waking up because of nightmares.

But then, one day, things started to look up.

“One night, alright? And then they come right back home.” Stacy stood in the doorway, arms crossed as she stared across the doorway at Chase, who had a hand on each of his kid’s shoulders. He could hardly believe that this was happening and he wasn’t about to lose his chance at seeing his children so he nodded. 

“Of course, I’ll take good care of them. We’ll have loads of fun.” He squeezed their shoulders and looked down at them. Peter nodded excitedly.

“And I’m only letting them stay because your doctor friend is back. Maybe he can keep you together enough to look after the kids,” Stacy continued. It took a long moment for Chase to process her words, his damaged brain struggling to understand for a moment. Luckily, Peter spoke before he had to answer.

“We’ll be fine, Mum!” he said. “You go!”

“Alright.” Stacy seemed reluctant to leave, but she crouched down and gave both Peter and Emily a hug. “If _anything_ happens, you call me, alright?” she said. They both nodded.

“We’ll be fiiine Mum!” Peter repeated, and Emily nodded. With a long sigh, Stacy stood, shooting Chase a long look. He studied her face, trying to see a glimpse of the woman he had fallen in love with, but she had changed completely. Her eyes were cold, hard and it was clear she was reluctant to leave her children with their father. 

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow night,” she said at last and turned to leave, almost running into Marvin as he came up to the house. “Oh. Hello,” she said in greeting. 

 

Marvin ducked his head to her and smiled.

 

“Good morning, Stacy,” he answered, stepping past her. She glanced back at him, then shot another look at Chase and continued to her car. Chase felt a strange rush of emotions at the interaction and glared at Marvin as his brother joined him. 

 

“Seems you two are close,” he snapped shortly. Marvin blinked and seemed a little taken aback at the comment, but he didn’t say anything and Chase instantly felt his annoyance die. It didn’t matter how close Stay and Marvin were. 

 

“There’s nothing between us,” Marvin said as he walked past. Chase frowned, following him and turning his mind away from the interaction. 

 

“Any news?” he asked as he guided his children inside. They rushed into the house, talking excitedly together as they greeted JJ. Marvin shook his head, running a hand through his hair and tugging out the tie, letting it flow free. 

 

“Nothing. Look, Chase, I gotta go get ready for a show - try not to worry too much, okay bro?” He slapped Chase on the shoulder and headed towards his room.

 

Chase watched him go, glaring at his vanishing back and fighting down the urge to shout at him. How could he  _ not _ worry? He had seen the state Henrik was in and the thought of Jackie undergoing whatever had happened to Henrik scared him. He wanted to be out there, searching. He wanted to turn the whole town upside until he found his brother. How could Marvin pass it off so easily?

 

“Daddy! Come play with us!” Peter called, running back into the hall and grabbing his hand. Chase let out a long breath, fighting back his irritation. He couldn't do much at the moment and he wanted to enjoy the time he had with his children while he had the chance. 

 

So, he forced himself to stop worrying, to stop thinking about Jackie or the stress of running the channel or Jack being silent and still and allowed his son to pull him into the kitchen. 

 

“JJ said he knows a secret code language!” Peter explained as he pulled Chase through the door. Emily and JJ were sitting across the table from each other, Emily watching him with wide eyes as he tried to get her to understand his signs - she still couldn't read enough to decipher his enchanted slides. 

 

It was the happiest Chase had been for a long time as the four of them sat around the table, learning sign language. Peter was very excited at the chance, insisting that it was a secret code that spies used. Neither Chase or JJ could see a reason to tell him otherwise.

 

The day passed far too quickly and Chase felt almost happy, the dark cloud that often hovered over his head kept at bay by the youthful laughter that filled the house. 

 

He chased them through the house, took them on a walk, lost miserably at card games to Henrik with them (Chase was pretty sure that you couldn't turn a draw four back on the person who played it, but Peter was laughing so hard when it happened he didn't protest. Much.) Marvin even gave them a small magic show when he got back, before vanishing into his room. 

 

They were scattered around the living room, watching a movie as they finished off pizza for dinner when Stacy called. 

 

“They're fine, Stace,” Chase said, leaning against the kitchen counter, half listening to his kids singing ‘How far I'll Go’ along with the movie. One if his brothers had joined them. For a moment, it was just like it had been before. His wife was away on a trip, leaving him with the kids. His brothers had come over to help out and that was Jackie’s powerful voice singing almost more enthusiastically than the children. 

 

But the beautiful moment only lasted as long as the silence on the other end of the receiver. He didn’t quite register what she said at first and frowned, asking her to repeat. She gave a long sigh and spoke. 

 

“I  _ said _ , put the kids on. I want to make sure they’re okay.” She spoke slowly, clearly annoyed at him but trying to hide it. 

  
  


“They're watching a movie. I don't want to interrupt them,” Chase said shortly in reply. 

 

“Chase,” Stacy growled, a warning in her voice. He sighed. 

 

“Alright, I'll go get them.” 

 

Great protests came from both children when he paused the movie, Emily stubbornly continued singing, glaring at him as she did. 

 

“Why’d you stop it?” Peter asked, pouting. 

 

“Mum wants to talk to you,” Chase said, hitting the speakerphone button and holding it out to Peter. 

 

He sighed and took the phone, moving to sit beside his sister who had finally stopped singing. 

 

“Hey babies, how’re you going?” Stacy asked. Chase sighed, dropping back into his seat and leaning his head on his hand as he listened to his children talk to their mother. 

 

“We’re having loads of fun!” Peter said. 

 

“We’re watching Moana. I can sing,” Emily added. 

 

Chase glanced up to see JJ frowning at him. A moment later a speech slide popped into existence. 

 

“ **Are you alright** ?” JJ asked. Chase shrugged, not really wanting to answer - at least not out loud. Besides, he didn’t really want Stacy to hear any answer he gave. So instead, after a moment’s hesitation, signed his response - clumsily, but JJ understood. 

 

“ _ She doesn’t trust me. Guess I need to get used to that, _ ” he said. 

 

“ **Losing the trust of a loved one is indeed a horrid thing,** ” JJ said in answer. Chase nodded, turning his attention back to the conversation taking place over the phone. The children were already losing interest and wanted to get back to the movie. Eventually, Stacy said a reluctant goodbye and the phone was handed back to Chase. 

 

He handed the remote off to Henrik so he could resume the movie and retired to the kitchen again, hoping to talk to Stacy before she hung up. 

 

“How’s your day been?” he asked, a little hesitantly. She hadn’t given him a chance to just talk for a long time. 

 

“Don’t try, Chase,” she said shortly. “I called to make sure the children are alright - it seems that they are, so I’ll go back to my life now. I’ll see you tomorrow when I come to pick them up. Goodbye.” 

 

The call ended, despite Chase’s quiet protests. He sighed, pressing the phone to his forehead. He had been pushing his luck a little, but he missed her. And while he knew that things would never be the same as they were, he wanted to become friends again at least. But it seemed Stacy didn’t seem to agree with him on that. 

 

Anger suddenly washed through him and he turned, teeth bared and longing to embed his fist into the kitchen wall in front of him. But he stopped, collapsing onto the bench and dropping his phone. He gripped his head in his hands and let out a growl of anger. Why couldn’t function right? Mood swings, irritation, unable to process words. He was wrong, he was broken, he couldn’t even enjoy his children for a few days without something going wrong. 

 

He took a moment to compose himself, thinking for a brief second of the bottle hidden in his draw. Then, he thought of the two children, his children whom he had for almost another full day. He needed to spend time with them. 

 

The rest of the evening past quietly, the children going to bed not long after the movie finished.  Then Chase recorded a few videos, catching up on what he hadn’t done in the day. He was going to pay a visit to Jack before going to bed, a headache pounding at the base of his skull, but as he passed the kitchen on his way raised voices caught his attention.  

 

“I am  _ helping  _ to keep us running!” 

 

“You are abandoning your brothers! You are leaving us for days - I have barely seen you for weeks!” 

 

“I’m trying to find Jackie! Would you prefer I don’t, that I leave him there, where ever he is?” 

 

Chase stepped into the kitchen in time to see Schneep flinch at the mention of the place he had been kept prisoner, his fists balling. The doctor stepped forward, glaring up at the taller ego. 

 

“I would prefer you weren’t so selfish, spending so much time galavanting off doing who knows what!  _ Selbstsüchtig _ !” 

 

Mavin snapped back at him, saying something Chase couldn’t fully process, glaring down at Schneep. “...keeping us alive!” 

 

“And the channel doesn't do that? If you really wanted to help you could take over from Chase and do record some videos from time to time! You could help me look after Jack! You are selfish, Marvin!” 

 

“Who was the one who let Jack get in his condition in the first place?” Marvin demanded, anger blazing from behind his mask. 

 

Chase could see that struck deep. Henrik flinched back and seemed to wilt into himself, dropping his eyes. Chase scowled, stepping into the conversation. 

 

“Marvin that's enough,” he snapped. 

 

Marvin started, looking up and Chase, then back and Henrik who was using the back of a chair from the table to steady himself, one hand rubbing his neck. Guilt flashed across his face, just visible from behind his mask. 

 

“Henrik - I…” he began, but Chase didn't let him finish. He was upset, angry at Marvin for a number of things and this was the final straw. His headache wasn’t helping matters much. 

 

“Get out,” he growled. “Go. Do your show. Do whatever. I don't care. But until you're ready to make a change you can stick to your part of the house.” 

 

Marvin hesitated, but nodded, moving past Chase into the hall. He paused in the doorway, glancing back. 

 

“Henrik, I'm sorry. I didn't mean…” He trailed off, leaving the kitchen and making it way towards his room. 

 

“You okay, bro?” Chase asked. Henrik nodded, his hand white on the back of the chair. 

 

“ _ Ja, _ I just… he's right. It is my fault. I should not have let anything happen to Jack.” 

 

“It's not your fault,” Chase said shortly. “It's Anti. He's the one who's messing everything up.” 

 

Henrik flinched a little at the name, but he nodded. He pushed himself off the chair and moved past Chase. 

 

“Thank you,” he said quietly, vanishing into the darkness of the hall. Chase watched him go, running a hand through his hair and muttering a curse. 

 

~*~ 

Chase woke from a fitful sleep with a sound echoing in his mind and a deep sense of unease. Something was wrong. Stumbling across the room he reached for the light switch, only to find it didn’t work. Fear began to curl in his stomach. 

 

He reached blindly into a drawer to find a light source, his fingers closing over a lighter. It would have to do. Flicking it on, he moved slowly into the hall, heart beating quickly. 

 

The small flame of the lighter gave little light as he crept through the familiar hall, heading towards the room Peter and Emily were staying in. Noises whispered around him - chuckles and laughs and screams. He wasn’t entirely sure if he was dreaming or not, but he was scared. 

 

He gripped the lighter tightly, moving slowly through the hall. He needed to find his children. He needed to make sure they were alright. 

 

A sudden burst of red light came from around the corner, and, hands shaking slightly, he rounded it. A figure was standing in the doorway of his children’s room, silhouetted by the unnatural light that came from the room. 

 

Chase shakily stepped forward - he had to do this for his children. If this was who he thought it was, he wasn’t about to let him anywhere near them. 

 

“Who are you?” he asked, his voice weak and fear filled. The figure turned, turned to look back at him, one eye glowing green. It was him. 

 

Animal terror filled Chase. Fear for his children, fear for Jackie, fear for himself. What had the monster done? What was he going to do? 

 

“Where are they!” he cried, asking desperately for any sign that his children were okay. That they were  _ alive _ . “What do you want from me!” 

 

The figure turned, moving towards him. Chase took an unsteady step back, but Anti was much too fast. Cold, rough hands clutched either side of Chase’s head and the world turned dark as he slumped to the ground, the lighter slipping out of his hand. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A door opened and he looked up to see JJ, standing in the entrance to his room. Marvin felt a rush of relief - JJ was much better at comforting than him.
> 
> “What is all the racket out here?” JJ asked, his speech side flickering uncertainty. A shocked look crossed his face as he took in the scene. “Heavens! What has happened?”
> 
> “I - I’m not sure,” Marvin said. “But I think…” he trailed off, not wanting to use the monster’s name. JJ’s slide flicked in and out of existence almost too fast for him to read.
> 
> “Anti.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE ARE BACK LADS!   
> (my amazing betas are dinadinu, xtracheesy, and a-septic-writer-of-art on tumblr!)

Marvin practically tripped over Chase the next morning. He had got up early in an attempt to have breakfast while staying out of the others’ way and stumbled across Chase, sprawled on the floor of the hallway.

He crouched, a frown growing on his face as he laid a hand on his brother’s shoulder.

“Chase?” he asked, almost hesitantly. Chase had been pretty upset with him last night, and Marvin may not be the first person he wanted to see in the morning. But this was unusual, and for a sudden moment, Marvin felt a stab of fear, remembering the bloodstained scene and the gun in Chase’s limp hand he had walked in on over a year ago.

He had been getting better, right? Marvin had seen him last night - he had been laughing genuinely with his children. So many reasons why that couldn’t be possible flashed through his mind, but the fear still remained until Chase shot upright.

He looked around wildly, fear painting his movements. Gripping onto Marvin’s shoulder he let out a loud sob.

“He - he was here! Where - what happened? I don’t - he was here!”

“Woah, hey, calm down,” Marvin said, gently taking Chase’s arms and pushing him back. “What happened? Who was here?”

“He was - he was right here. I - I saw. He -” a look of horror suddenly crossed his face and the colour drained. “The kids.” Panic suddenly crossed his expression and he scrambled to his feet, almost tripping over himself in his haste.

Marvin stood as well, still unsure what was happening, and followed Chase as he burst into the room Peter and Emily were staying in.

Marvin couldn’t see into the room, but he saw Chase skid to a stop, his shoulders slumping. He dropped to his knees, a whispered ‘no’ escaping his lips.

Both beds were empty, the covers messy and tangled. There was no sign of the children.

“Chase, what… what happened?” Marvin asked quietly. Chase let out a broken sob, burying his face in his hands. “Chase…” Marvin reached out a hesitant hand - he wasn’t good at comfort or emotional things. But he crouched beside Chase, gripping his shoulder gently.

“You need to tell me what happened,” he said seriously, though he had an idea of the events of last night - a bad idea. “Who was here?”

“ _He_ ,” Chase muttered. “He… he took them.” Suddenly, he shoved Marvin away and scrambled out of the room, collapsing again the wall of the hall and breaking into sobs. “I let them down. I failed them.”

Marvin didn’t know what to do. He wished he was anywhere else, performing, practising, looking for Jackie. Something he  _understood_.

A door opened and he looked up to see JJ, standing in the entrance to his room. Marvin felt a rush of relief - JJ was much better at comforting than him.

“ **What is all the racket out here?** ” JJ asked, his speech side flickering uncertainty. A shocked look crossed his face as he took in the scene. “ **Heavens! What has happened?** ”

“I - I’m not sure,” Marvin said. “But I think…” he trailed off, not wanting to use the monster’s name. JJ’s slide flicked in and out of existence almost too fast for him to read.

“ **Anti**.”

Usually, Marvin wasn’t afraid of Anti, but after seeing what he had done to Henrik, after the thought of him having a physical body? Anti was scary.

JJ knelt beside Chase, laying a hand on his shoulder. Marvin watched as they talked for a moment, unsure of what to do. Then he struggled to his feet. He did know what to do, he just really didn’t want to do it.

“I’ll wake up Schneep,” he said with a long sigh. After their fight last night he didn’t want to go anywhere near the doctor, but it was necessary. He would need to know, and he might be able to help.

He rapped on the door, a little surprised Henrik hadn’t made an appearance yet. When there was no answered he knocked again.

“Henrik?” he asked, accompanying the knock. Again, silence, and he placed his hand on the door to open it. But as he did, it was pulled open from the inside.

Henrik stood in the door, glasses crooked and hair dishevelled. He was wearing the same clothes he had been last night and Marvin wondered what dream he had woken from.

“What?” he snapped, and Marvin scowled.

“Look, something’s happened. I - I don’t know what exactly, but I think…” He trailed off, then deepened his scowl. Anti  _wanted_ them to be afraid of him. He wasn’t going to give that coward the satisfaction. “Chase thinks he saw Anti last night, at least I think that’s what he’s saying. The kids are missing.”

A look of horror and terror crossed Henrik’s face and he whispered something under his breath.

“ _Nein - nein_ , he  _can’t_  be here.” His hands gripped the side of the door, knuckles white. His breaths were coming in short bursts, his eyes wide, his chest heaving as he shook his head slowly.

”Henrik, stick with us,” Marvin growled, maybe harsher than he needed to, but despite his assurances to himself, he was scared. The fact that Anti had the power to come into their house - to kidnap the children - the idea chilled Marvin to the bone. “We may need your help.”

The doctor nodded, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths. Marvin quickly filled him in on what had happened and they joined JJ in the living room, where he had settled Chase onto the couch.

The latter had calmed down a little and was now staring vacantly across the room, clutching a blanket JJ had thrown over his shoulders. Henrik crouching in front of him, laying a slightly shaking hand on his shoulder. Chase flinched, his eyes flicking to the doctor’s face.

“Chase, what happened?” Henrik asked.

“I - I let them down,” he muttered. “I failed them.”

“No, tell me what happened. Tell me what you remember - everything.”

Chase took a gasping breath and nodded, closing his eyes for a second. Marvin glanced at JJ, sitting beside him, looking on in concern. For a moment, he felt like the outsider once more, then Chase started talking.

“I thought I heard something last night,” he muttered. “The lights didn’t work, so I only had my lighter. Th - they were screaming. I heard…” He shuddered, closing his eyes. “ _He_ was standing in their doorway and I couldn’t do anything and he - he… he came at me and I couldn’t do anything and I…” He shuddered, clutching his head. “He’s in my head, he’s always in my head. Whispering, talking, telling me to do things. Ever since…” And he dropped one hand, the other curled into a fist, pressed to the side of his forehead - pressed to the scar that marred that side of his face.

Henrik sucked in a breath, flicking his eyes up to meet JJ’s. Marvin, standing at the end of the couch, felt a small rush of annoyance at the exchanged look, but didn’t voice anything.

“Are you sure it wasn’t a dream?” Henrik asked carefully. Chase shook his head violently.

“I know what I saw, Schneeplestein,” he said shortly.

“ **Besides, where would the children be?** ” JJ asked. “ **The little mites would not have run off**.”

“Maybe they did,” Marvin said. The looks the others shot at him made him realise now may not be the best time, but he wanted to voice his thoughts. “I mean… Chase isn’t exactly the most stable of parents.”

“Marvin,” Henrik said sharply. Chase flinched, dropping his gaze and staring at the floor.

“They wouldn't… we had fun… we had a good time…” he muttered.

“Which would you prefer?” Marvin asked. Wouldn’t it better if the children had simply run home to their mother? After seeing what Anti had done to Henrik he didn’t want the children anywhere near that monster.

“Jamie, would you take Chase and get him settled in his room?” Henrik asked calmly, not breaking eye contact with Marvin. JJ nodded, glancing between the two of them before helping Chase up. He didn’t protest, glancing back a few times as he followed the younger ego out.

As soon as they had left the room Henrik stood, fists clenched as he stood in front of the taller ego.

“This has got to stop,” he snarled.

“What?” Marvin asked, not entirely sure why Henrik was angry. “Don’t you think it makes more sense that they ran away than Anti coming here?”

Henrik let out a long breath, muttering something Marvin couldn’t quite catch. He jabbed a finger at the magician.

“Is a good idea,  _ja_. And I would love for it to be true. But you told Chase he is a bad father.”

“Wha-” Marvin began, taken aback by the accusation. Henrik didn’t let him continue.

“You said to him that he did not deserve his children. You said to him his children did not care for him. How do you think that made him feel?”

Marvin blinked, opening his mouth to protest. He didn’t mean to upset Chase - he had just wanted to offer him a less terrifying prospect. But Henrik didn’t stop to give him a say.

“I do not know what has gotten into you but it needs to stop. You need to decide if you really want to be part of our family.”

Marvin tried to answer but found himself at a loss for words. Of  _course_ he wanted to part of the family - he  _was_ part of the family. He had been the one keeping the family together for nearly nine months. He had been the one making sure Jack was okay, he had been the one comforting Chase through his marriage problems.

How dare Henrik say otherwise?

“Call Stacy,” the doctor said, moving past him.

“Wha - why me?” Marvin asked. He needed to go back to looking for Jackie, he needed to practice for his next show. He didn’t have time to call Stacy.

Henrik spun, eyes flashing

“Because I need to make sure Chase is okay and I do not think he wants to see you? Because someone has to check if the children are with their mother? Because what else are you going to do? Because I asked you to? It does not matter - just call her.”

He turned and stormed out of the room, leaving Marvin along.

“It was more of an order,” he muttered after Henrik. Running a hand down his hair, he muttered a curse. Nothing he could do but call Stacy. Someone had to.

Stacy did not have the children. After the pleasantries were exchanged - Stacy’s usual warm greeting marred by her worry at being called this early - Marvin told her what happened.

Safe to say she was not happy.

“I let them stay for one night and he  _loses_ them,” she demanded. “You had better find my babies, Marvin.”

“I will do whatever is in my power,” Marvin promised. He was determined to find the children, both for Chase and Stacy. And for Peter and Emily themselves, who knows what horrors they were facing.

“You had better.”

“They’ve probably just run off,” Marvin assured her.

“Or Chase has kidnapped them,” Stacy muttered.

“I don’t think-”

“Just find them, alright? And find them soon. Or I  _will_ get the police involved.” She let out a long, crackling breath. “I hope they’re okay,” she muttered.

“I’m sure they will be,” Marvin assured her, trying to believe his own words.

Henrik glanced into his room as he finished the conversation and hung up his phone.

“Well?” he demanded.

“She’s threatening legal action if we don’t find the kids,” he said heavily. “How’s Chase?”

“Upset. You’d best start looking.”

Marvin gritted his teeth.

“What do you think I was going to do?” he asked shortly.

“I don’t know,” Henrik said shortly. “What do you do all day? I need to check up on Jack and make sure Chase is alright.”

He left the room and Marvin scowled after him, jabbing his middle finger towards the door. He spun in his chair, pulling his hair into a quick ponytail to keep it out of his face and pulled his mask off his face, sitting it on its stand beside his computer. He ran a hand over his face, tracing the familiar scars, before refocusing his attention on the screen before him.

Turning his computer on he cracked his knuckles, trying to forget Henrik’s comments and focus on the task at hand.

It was slow going. Marvin had a number of systems in place that he watched, feelers out for any sign of Jackie. The children not turning up in the first few days coupled with Chase’s story made him more and more sure that they were with Jackie - or at least nearby.

It was about a week and a half later and he was getting restless. He hadn’t wanted to go to many performances or shows, not wanting to risk Henrik’s annoyance and he was tired of being stuck at home - he needed an outlet for his magic. The last time he hadn’t used his magic for a long period had ended disastrously, but he knew Henrik was right - he needed to help his family. He could sacrifice his comfort for that.

He was checking up on a recent story about a missing child when his screen flickered, glitching for a moment. With a sigh, he glanced up to make sure the camera was still covered and continued his searching, waiting for the inevitable message.

Sure enough, it flashed across the screen only a few seconds later.

“Still ͞sea͜rc҉h͠in̡g̨ f͟o̶r shadow͞s, l̷it͞t҉l̨e͡ kitten?”

He ignored it, skimming through the article as it glitched across his screen a few times before vanishing. The story seemed to be about a runaway, nothing that could connect this child to Peter and Emily.

“D̶o ͏yo̵u ͡r̛eally ͠th͜i̷nk ͟y͘ou͘'̷re g͡o͞i͟n͠g҉ to͘ f̸ind̴ ̕t͘h̨em? ”

He ignored the words as they flashed across his screen, causing the mouse to jump, and exited the story in an effort to find another lead.

“S̷t҉o̡p͘ p͞lay̸ing͡ th̵eir g̕ame̵s̴.̷ S̨t͠op ͢o͟be̡yi͝n̵g͜ ̛t̸h͜eir͠ o̸rd͞ers̢.҉”

This time he paused, staring at the words as an idea began to form. Excitement a hope began to build, filling him until he felt like he might explode. This could work.

He spun, snatching the mask off its stand and slipping the familiar item over his face. Jackie had once shown him how to track a virus to its source on a computer. Surely with a little magical help, he could track the glitch to its source.

Rubbing his cat ears, he felt the familiar tingle of magic rushing through him, building up, aching for escape. It had been a while since he had done this and he needed to let it out.

Turning to the computer he began to echo what Jackie had shown him a low time ago, preparing the software to track the glitches. Then, closing his eyes and willing it to work, he released the magic into the system.

For a long moment, nothing happened. Then, the software began working, tracking, following the lead. His heart leapt as he watched it - had he done it? Was it going to work?

“Ç̕l͟ev͟e͢r̶͘͡.̶͞” The glitches flashed across the screen again, angrily. “B҉ut eve̕n̢ ̷i͞f y̷o͘u͟ d̶o f̸in͝d̸ them ̡- ̸wil̸l y̢ǫur ̴‘frien̛ds’ t͏hi̴nk t̛o than͢k ҉you?̸”

Marvin didn’t answer, watching as the software worked his magic, tracking down Anti - tracking down the children. Tracking down his missing brother.

It took only an hour. But finally, the location was found - far on the other side of the world. Marvin wasn’t surprised, Ani had probably opened a portal of some kind when he had let Schneep escape. It wouldn’t take much to open another to rescue Jackie and the kids.

He spun in his chair, excitement and joy rushing through him. Jackie was alive and Marvin had found him! His friend, his partner, his brother. He was alive and he would soon be home!

He almost knocked the door down as he rushed out of the room and into the kitchen were Chase was nursing a mug of tea, JJ talking to him and Henrik making a cup of coffee.

“I found them!” Marvin cried. Chase’s head snapped up, faint hope glowing in his eyes.

“Where?” he asked shortly. Then he stood, almost knocking his chair over in his haste. “We need to find them, we need to get them. Now!”

Marvin told them his plan, outlining his plan, trying to hold back his fears as Chase and Henrik’s hope grew.

It was only much later that he remembered the glitching words that had flashed across his screen and how true they had been.

“Eve̕n̢ ̷i͞f y̷o͘u͟ d̶o f̸in͝d̸ them ̡- ̸wil̸l y̢ǫur ̴‘frien̛ds’ t͏hi̴nk t̛o than͢k ҉you?̸”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shouting pulled Jackieboy from a restless, dream fogged sleep. For a moment, he thought he was still dreaming because he was sure that was a child’s voice. Why would any child be down here?
> 
> Then the door was flung open and he scrambled to the back of the room as two children were flung into the small cell with him. The boy scrambled to his feet as the door slammed shut and pounded on it.
> 
> “Let us go!” he screamed. “Daddy! Mummy! Let us go!” The girl just dropped and continued sobbing, curled in a ball on the floor where she had been thrown.
> 
> Jackie watched them warily, unsure if this was another trick. The glitch had used many such tricks to fool him and his memory was beginning to twist and confuse him. Sometimes he even wondered if Henrik’s visit had actually happened or if it had been an illusion, a false memory.
> 
> The boy stopped shouting and crouched down beside his sister, talking softly to her. There was something about the two children that struck Jackie as familiar and it wasn’t until he heard the boy whisper the girl’s name that it struck him.
> 
> These were Chase’s children.

Shouting pulled Jackieboy from a restless, dream fogged sleep. For a moment, he thought he was still dreaming because he was sure that was a child’s voice. Why would any child be down here?

         Then the door was flung open and he scrambled to the back of the room as two children were flung into the small cell with him. The boy scrambled to his feet as the door slammed shut and pounded on it.

         “Let us go!” he screamed. “Daddy! Mummy! Let us go!” The girl just dropped and continued sobbing, curled in a ball on the floor where she had been thrown.

         Jackie watched them warily, unsure if this was another trick. The glitch had used many such tricks to fool him and his memory was beginning to twist and confuse him. Sometimes he even wondered if Henrik’s visit had actually happened or if it had been an illusion, a false memory.

         The boy stopped shouting and crouched down beside his sister, talking softly to her. There was something about the two children that struck Jackie as familiar and it wasn’t until he heard the boy whisper the girl’s name that it struck him.

         These were Chase’s children.       

He swore under his breath as he realised the implication for that. Chase’s children were here – Chase’s children were  _here_. Children in this hell hole, children in danger of going through the pain Jackie had been through.

         No. That couldn’t happen. Jackie wasn’t going to let that happen.

         But his swearing caught the attention of the two children and they turned to him, the girl’s tears stopping abruptly and the boy stepping in front of her. Jackie held up his hands, trying not to scare them. He probably looked a mess, though the glitch had been busy with other things had hadn’t had time to torment him lately.

         “Who’re you?” the boy – Peter - asked, trying so hard to keep the fear out of his voice and failing. Jackie felt a twinge in his chest at the question – once he had been Uncle Jackie, who had played superheroes with them. Uncle Jackie who had tossed the laughing children into the air. Uncle Jackie who had babysat while Mummy and Daddy were out and had let them stay up late to watch old superhero movies. Uncle Jackie who they had rushed to greet every time he had stepped in the door.

         Now they didn’t even recognise him – now they were scared of him.

         “Hey, Peter,” he said, trying to smile. Peter frowned, one hand on his sister’s shoulder and she sniffed. They were both so much bigger, so much older. Nearly two years did a lot. “You don’t recognise me?”

         “I don’t… think so,” he said slowly. Then suddenly, shock crossed his face and he took a slow step back. “Uncle Jackie?”

         A lump suddenly formed in Jackie’s throat at the name. It had been so long since he had been called that, since he had heard an innocent voice calling his name.

         “Who?” the girl – Emily - asked quietly. Peter turned to her.

         “You remember, Uncle Jackie – he’s a superhero! He’ll look after us until Mummy and Daddy can come to find us. He’ll protect us!” Then suddenly, the boy left his sister and ran to Jackie and, disregarding the torn and tattered clothes, the blood and old burns, flung his arms around him.

         Jackie stiffened, unsure of how to react. He wasn't used to anyone touching him without pain, and he hadn’t expected Peter’s fear of him to vanish so quickly. But the small arms around his neck and the hot breath in his ear was comforting and he remained in the hug for as long as he could bear it.

         Peter was shaking and suddenly he realised the boy was crying, clinging to Jackie tightly and soft sobs escaping him. 

         “I’m scared,” he whispered. “I want to go home.”

         “I know,” Jackie said, a little awkwardly. ‘ _I want to go home as well. So badly. But I don’t know if I can – if_ we  _can_.’ The children might be stuck here with him, stuck in this pit for the rest of their lives.

         That thought scared him more than never leaving himself. He had come to terms with that the moment he had let Henrik go. He had survived here long enough, though a lot of that was because the glitch refused to let him die. But these children? They were young, they had so much more life to live. He refused to watch them grow up here.

         But how was he going to get them out of here? Henrik had only got out because the glitch had let him – the glitch had taken great joy in gloating over that.

         “You’ll look after us, right?” Peter asked, shifting to look Jackie in the eye. He glanced back at his sister. “You’ll help me look after her?”

         “Of course, I won’t let anything happen to you,” Jackie said, ignoring the twisting feeling in his gut that told him he couldn’t keep his promise.

         “Hear that, Em?” Peter asked, scrambling off Jackie’s lap - much to his reluctant relief - to his sister. “Uncle Jackie’ll look after us. He won’t let anything happen.” He pulled his sister into a hug.

         They were both so big – Peter had only been six when he had last seen the boy, and Emily had been a toddler. Now she was a young girl, peering up at him with big eyes. She probably didn’t remember him. What else had the glitch taken from him while he had been trapped here?

         The day seemed to past faster with the children there. Despite their surroundings, Jackie enjoyed their lively nature, enjoyed catching up on the nearly two years he had missed with them. They were happy and excited, and as he watched them sleep that night he knew he would protect them, he would keep that innocence alive in them, no matter what it took.

         “ _But how long can you keep it up?_ ” He could almost hear the glitch’s voice, taunting him, reminding him he could do nothing.

         “ _As long as I can_ ,” he silently responded.

         ~*~

         It turned out he didn’t need to protect them for a number of days. The glitch was obviously busy with something and left them to their own devices, feeding them once a day but otherwise leaving them alone.

         Jackie was getting hungry – he refused to eat anything until the kids had had their fill and often there wasn’t much left for him. But he didn’t mind, he was going to look after them. He owned that to Chase for not being there for him – and he wasn’t about to let the kids starve.

         They were in the middle of telling him a story about when Chase had taken them for a walk along the beach when the door was flung open. Jackie’s instinct to hide conflicted with his instinct to protect for a brief second, but the panic-stricken faces of the children rushing to his side convinced him to do the latter.

         He stood, placing himself between the door and the children, trying to hide his fear. The glitch could hurt him in ways he hadn’t thought possible.

         He didn’t have time to prepare himself. He was slammed violently against the wall, a hand at his neck and his head cracking painfully. The glitch stood above him, pressing him hard into the wall, a knife clasped in his other hand. The knife traced up his body, over his rapidly rising and falling chest before resting just under the monster’s hand.

         Jackie couldn’t breathe, couldn’t focus on anything but the pressure on his neck and the cold metal. He stared into the eyes of his tormentor, looking again for some sign of mercy but knowing he would see nothing. He had danced this dance many times before.

         “Y͢our͜ f̕riȩnd͝s ar̸e̕ ͟g͝e͜tti͏n̢g ̛clo͏se͏.̴ B̛ųt̸ the̸y ͢w͢on’t f͏i͡n̴d ͞y̸o͜u̷. ͝Ţh͏e͏y ̷wil͏l̵ ͡ne͠ver fi̸nd͢ y͏ou,” the glitch hissed, pressing the knife farther into his neck, breaking the skin. A trickle of blood slid down his neck. “A͞n̸d ͝wh̴e̡n ̷th̵e͞y ̕f̡in҉d me͠…” He chuckled, a sound that brought dread into Jackie’s heart.

         His vision was beginning to flicker, he couldn’t breathe anymore. He grabbed at the glitch’s hand, trying to release the pressure on his throat to no avail.

         “Leave him alone!” A small voice broke through the haze of pain and fear and suddenly the pressure was gone. He slumped to the ground, gasping for breath and cupping his neck, tears pricking his eyes. Emily rushed to his side, holding his shoulder and trying to support him.

         He flinced away from her but managed to sit up, still regaining his breath, coughing.  The room seemed to be spinning but he could see the glitch, standing over a terrified Peter.

         His pain and fear suddenly seemed to fade away, replaced with burning anger. He had had enough. The glitch could hurt him, the glitch could keep him here forever. But the glitch was not going to touch either of the kids.

         He struggled to his feet, rushing across the room to the two figures. Balling his fists, he swung with all his training and years as a superhero channelled into one punch.

         The collision was solid and satisfying and the glitch actually stumbled back. Peter scrambled away from him, taking shelter behind Jackie. The glitch flickered, his neck shifting and glitching before turning to Jackie with black eyes.

         Jackie refused to feel fear. He had feared long enough. Ignoring his beating heart and shaking hands he clenched his fists.

         “Inte̢re͝s҉ti̸ng҉,” the glitch said. Then he was gone, before Jackie had a chance to say anything, the cell door slamming shut behind him.

         The danger gone, Jackie stumbled back, exhausted. He sank down along the wall, shaking slightly, his neck stinging. The children scrambled to his side and pressed themselves into him, both sobbing softly. This time, Jackie didn’t shy away from their touch - he needed the solid warmth of their bodies as much as they needed him. 

         How was he going to keep that up? He was terrified for what the glitch would do next. It had taken eight months for Henrik to get out – something that wouldn’t have happened unless the glitch had allowed it.

         How was he going to look after these innocent lives? How long would he have to protect them?

  ~*~

He woke to soft voices and small hands shaking him awake. With a groan, he lifted his head, foggy and disoriented, sitting pressed against the wall. He tried to push himself forward but something stopped him, a pressure around his wrists pulling him back.

Sudden panic flooded through him and he tried in vain to yank his hands free. It was no use - he had been drugged and shackled to the wall. Not the first time it had happened in his two years here, but never done without reason. Nothing the glitch ever did was done without reason.

He forced himself to calm down, focusing on the children who were huddling together, staring up at him from where they sat.

“Uncle Jackie? Are you okay?” Peter asked. Jackie nodded, forcing a smile onto his face.

“I’m fine, kid,” he said, letting out a long breath and trying to slow his rapidly thumping heart. What did the glitch want? With Jackie shackled like this he couldn’t protect the children - couldn’t do anything.

The last time he had woken up like this had been when Henrik was here. And he had been as helpless then as he was now - helpless to watch as the glitch had hurt his friend. Now he could do nothing but wait.

They waited for about a day. Jackie’s discomfort only grew as time wore on, but he would much rather this than the glitch doing anything to the children. They made sure he ate and drank at least a little food when it was given to them, but other than that could do nothing.

So they waited. Jackie knew the glitch would come. He always did. It was only a matter of time.

The door swung open suddenly and the children scrambled to Jackie’s side, taking shelter behind him. Jackie scowled, anger and fear fighting inside him as he strained against his chains. He had to protect the children.

But his defiance vanished as soon as the glitch entered the room, flickering and glitching as he always did. The familiar knife, brandished in his hand, the dreaded smile splitting his face. The fear Jackie felt at the sight of him drowned out anything else and he pressed himself into the wall, as far from the monster as he could.

“He̴llo͞ l̕itt̸l͘e toy,” he said, standing above Jackie, turning the knife slowly in his hands. “Sh͜a̸l̸l ͏we̛ p̵la͠y a little g̶a͠me̷?” He paused, flipping the knife in his hand and pointing it at Jackie. Jackie flinched, pulling desperately at the chains that held him. “O͞h, ҉but͘ ͜y͏o̡u -̕ ͢y̵ou'r̴e g͠eţt͢in̡g͝ ̶p̶r̕ȩdicta͡ble̴.̵” He turned, beginning to move back and forth in front of Jackie, the knife a hypnotizing blur in his hands. Jackie felt dread built in his chest - this was new. Anything new, any different, anything out of the ordinary with the glitch was bad.

The glitch stopped moving and flipped the knife. But this time, his eyes weren’t focused on Jackie - this time he turned to look at the children, huddled together and pressing themselves into Jackie’s side. He looked down at them, at their wide, fear-filled eyes, at their faces of terror and clenched his fists.

“Leave them alone,” he said, in a low, dangerous voice. It was a voice that once had caused criminals to hesitate, some even turn and run, a voice he only ever used when he was really angry. But this time, the glitch just laughed, the echoing sound bringing all the fear back into Jackie’s heart. What was he doing?

“Are y̷o̴u̸ ̧g͏oing ͏to ͡st͝op ͘me?̨ Y͏ou̴ ar͢e ju͜s̡t͟ my ͝to͡y̧ ͠-̸ ̡just ̡a̸ ͢p͝l̨a͢y҉t҉h͟ing͡ ̧for͏ me͡ to ͝do͏ ̴wit͢h as͜ ̸I͏ s̷ee ̧f͢it̴.” He crouched low over Jackie, running a hand down his cheek. Jackie didn’t even try to flinch away - there was no point.

The glitch’s hand moved suddenly and he grabbed Emily’s arm. She let out a shriek and Peter gave a cry, moving after her. The glitch flickered back, standing out of reach as Jackie lunged forward, trying to get to her but unable to pull free of the chains. He bared his teeth, fear for the girl drowning out the pain throbbing in his wrists.

“Give her back!” Peter shouted, but he didn’t dare move any closer, the small hand on Jackie’s leg shaking slightly with fear. The glitch just smiled, his knife pressed to Emily’s throat. She was sobbing, tears sliding down her face, despair and terror showing clearly.

“Y͠ou̴ ̸n͜eed ̢to͠ ͡le̷a̢r̴n,̨ ̡l͜it͠tl͡e hero ͢- ͝y̴ou a̴r͘e͞ _m͟i͡n͡e͘_.” He all but shouted the last word, glitching violently. Jackie flinched and strained forward as Emily let out a sob. Peter’s hand was gripping his leg, his breath coming quickly, straining forward but too scared to go close to his sister.

The glitch wanted something Jackie realised. If he had just come to torture them he would have already - but he wanted something. He wanted something from Jackie.

It came to him in a flash - the glitch wanted the one thing Jackie hadn’t given him. For two years, he had wanted just one thing - just one word - from Jackie and Jackie had refused to give in completely. But now… now he had no choice.

“Uncle Jackie, do something,” Peter managed between his sobs. Jackie looked down at him, looking between his tearstained face and Emily’s terrified expression. “He’s going to kill her.”

“Wel҉l,̸ ̧a̵r͡e ̨you ju͞st͢ g͞oin͡g̶ t̶o le̛t̵ ḩer ̴die?̴” he snarled the last work, flickering violently. Emily let out a sob of pain as the blade cut a small knick on her neck. It was the last straw.

Jackie slumped, knowing what he had to do. He hung limp, the chains on his wrists the only thing keeping him from collapsing to the ground.

“Alright,” he said softly. A smile broke over the glitch’s face and he let Emily go. She scrambled away from him, sobbing. Peter hurried to her side and pulled her to the other side of the room.

Jackie felt hands on his chin and his head was lifted until he found himself staring in the glitch’s eyes. He didn’t have the strength to try to flinch away, he knew the consequences of doing so.

“Just… don’t hurt the children,” he tried, stalling, protecting.

“Y͞ơu͟ arę i͡n n͡o p̕osi͢t̸ion͝ ͏t̛o m͟ak͏ȩ ̡d̕ealş,̨ li̧tt͡le͡ ͞to͏y,” the glitch said softly, his nails digging into Jackie’s cheek. Jackie dropped his eyes - he had no choice. “I ͠wan̶t͝ ͏to ̴h͏e̴a҉r̵ y͜ou͏ ͡say̶ ͢it.”

He closed his eyes, sending a silent apology to his brothers, to all those he had refused to give in for. He had no choice.

“Alright. Fine. I’m… yours... Master.”

It felt almost… freeing to finally say the words. That was what Anti had wanted for nearly two years, that was what he had held out from. Now - now it was liberating. He didn’t have to fight anymore. It was so much easier to just give in. To do as he was told.

The glitch gently patted his cheek and stepped back, a sickening smile on his face. He unlocked the chains holding Jackie with the tip of the knife and Jackie slid down the wall, strength gone.

“W͠e͜ll̴ ḑone̸ - ͏wa̴s̛ th̸a̷t͡ r͜e͝a̴l͞l͞y so ͡h̛a̛rd͏?” The glitch didn’t want for a response, Jackie could tell he had left them alone. He didn’t move, head bowed, arms limp by his side. He had given up. He had given in - he had given the glitch what he wanted. What kind of superhero was he?

Not a superhero anymore. He hadn’t been for nearly two years.

A small hand was laid on his knee and he flinched, looking up to see Peter staring at him. Emily was gripping his hand, silent tears still sliding down her face. Jackie’s heart broke to see the two of them like this, to know he could do nothing to protect them.

“Daddy will come soon,” Peter assured him. He pulled his sister close, then settled down beside Jackie, leaning into him. Jackie looked down at him, shocked by his optimism. Couldn't’ he see that there was no hope down here? That there was no way any of them would leave here? That there was no chance of Chase or any of the others finding them?

Couldn’t he see they were stuck here forever?


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You actually know where they are?” Chase asked as Marvin finished talking. He was still standing, tea long forgotten, rolling his hat through his hands. “
> 
> “I know the general vicinity,” Marvin answered. He sat, accepting the mug that Schneeplestein pushed in his direction. “It shouldn’t take more than a few days to prepare a spell that will take us there. Some help with that might be appreciated though.”
> 
> It took JJ a second to realise Marvin had directed the last comment to him. He blinked, surprise flashing across his face.
> 
> “Me?” he asked, frowning deeply and gesturing to himself. “I will of course help in whatever way I can, but why me?”

Jameson had heard a lot about the one the others called Jackieboy Man. He had heard stories about the great hero, about how he saved people, about his power. But Jameson had never met Jackieboy Man - he had been taken captive long before the youngest ego arrived.

If he was being honest, he was a little apprehensive at the idea of someone else joining the family he had found himself in. It had taken him long enough to relax around Schneeplestein - even now he wasn’t fully comfortable around the doctor. The idea of someone else he didn’t know arriving didn’t appeal to him greatly. He tried to tell himself they were more excited about finding the children than Jackieboy Man, but the hope sparkling in both Schneeplestein and Marvin’s eyes told him it wasn’t just Peter and Emily they were eager to rescue.

But the way Chase’s face lit up when Marvin had told them he had a lead made JJ hesitate. He sat quietly, listening as Marvin told Chase and Schneeplestein about the spell he had used, uncertain.

“You actually know where they are?” Chase asked as Marvin finished talking. He was still standing, tea long forgotten, rolling his hat through his hands. “

“I know the general vicinity,” Marvin answered. He sat, accepting the mug that Schneeplestein pushed in his direction. “It shouldn’t take more than a few days to prepare a spell that will take us there. Some help with that might be appreciated though.”

It took JJ a second to realise Marvin had directed the last comment to him. He blinked, surprise flashing across his face.

“ **Me?** ” he asked, frowning deeply and gesturing to himself. “ **I will of course help in whatever way I can, but why me?** ”

"You’ve got a little magic yourself, right?” Marvin said. JJ blinked again, remembering how he had summoned small items before. He nodded slowly, still unsure why Marvin wanted him to help - still unsure if he wanted to help.

“But you’re sure you can do it?” Chase asked. His face was covered in worry and hope, he was leaning forward, almost on top of the table. “You can find my kids?”

“And Jackie?” Schneeplestein added, his fingers tight around his mug. “You can find him?”

“I think so,” Marvin said. He let out a long breath, looking around the table. “We won’t stop until we do.” He glanced at JJ, and the mute nodded despite himself. He would help, and maybe he would find that this Jackieboy Man wasn’t as bad as he was expecting. Besides, he wanted to know Emily and Peter were safe.

Soon, he was elbows deep in one of Marvin’s spell books, looking for what Marvin described as a simple transportation spell. Bookmarks through the bookmarked his progress, spells that were likely not what they wanted.

Marvin was sitting at his computer, watching the tracking spell as it continued to do its work. He had two spell books open in front of him and his elbows were holding open a scroll. He muttered to himself from time to time, whispering spells and incarnations.

JJ yawned silently, rubbing his eyes and blinking. He wanted to sleep but didn't want to leave until Marvin was ready to finish. So he shuffled his paper loudly, wishing he could clear his throat to draw the magician's attention. Not being able to make a sound had many downsides.

But his paper rustling seemed to work. Marvin’s head jerked up and he rubbed his eyes, yawning. Something flickering on his screen caught his attention for a moment, then shook his head and turned to JJ.

“You should sleep, it's getting late,” he said. “I'll look through those spells and let you know if any of them will work in the morning.”

He held his hand out for the book and JJ gladly handed it over, standing from where he had been sitting against Marvin's bed. But as Marvin turned back to his desk he hesitated.

“ **What about you?** ” he asked. Marvin glanced up at him and shrugged.

“I'll keep looking.”

“ **You need sleep as well** ,” JJ continued.

“‘m fine, Jameson,” Marvin muttered, turning back to the screen. “Need to find them,” he said, almost to himself. “Need to, Schneep's already angry at me.”

JJ frowned, gently laying a hand on Marvin’s shoulder. He hesitated, wondering what the best thing to say was when Marvin looked up at him.

“ **You have already done so much. If Doctor Schneeplestein can't see that that's his problem. You've helped immensely.** ”

“Funny that they never seem to realise that,” Marvin said quietly.

“ **Well, that is their loss. I for one think you have performed marvellously and they would do well to understand that**.” He squeezed Marvin's shoulder, unsure what else to do. “ **You should sleep**.”

He wasn't sure if Marvin had seen his last message, but he stepped back, intending to turn in himself. Marvin turned, his eyes heavy behind his mask.

“Do you think I'm selfish?” he asked quietly.

JJ was a little taken aback at the question, pausing for a few moments to think of a reply. Unfortunately, Marvin seemed to think that was a yes and huffed, turning away.

“ **No** ,” JJ said quickly, grabbing his shoulder again. Marvin didn't answer, watching his slides closely. “ **You do your best to help - the others may not see that. It seems you help in other ways. In a way…** ” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “ **In a way, Schneeplestein could be seen as the selfish one, because he does not understand you are helping in your own way.** ”

Marvin dropped his eyes, picking at his nails. He nodded slowly, seeming to think things through.

“They… They didn't thank me for finding Anti's position,” he said at last. JJ frowned.

“ **Well, that is quite uncalled for! While I have some misgivings about this whole endeavour, I am grateful for your dedication to finding them** ,” he responded.

Marvin smiled slightly, seeming to come back to himself. He stretched, yawning widely.

“Thanks, JJ,” he said. “And you're right - I really do need to turn in.” A yawn broke over his face and he grinned slightly. One he was back in control of his mouth, he continued speaking. “Meet me back here after breakfast and we'll have a crack at some of those spells, see if they work.”

“ **My pleasure!** ” JJ said. “ **Sleep tight, Marvin.** ”

He left Marvin's room, closing the door softly behind him and wondering if he had said the right thing.

The next few days passed painfully slow. They made slow progress - most of the spells they found weren’t acceptable for transporting an item across the room - let alone people across the world.

They kept trying, trying new spells, trying new books, searching, looking, hoping. But nothing - nothing for days. Failed spells, spells that worked, but were not as powerful as what they wanted. All the while, the children were under Anti’s control.

JJ was refilling their mugs, dipping a tea bag absently in a mug of hot water when the door opened behind him. He glanced up to see Schneeplestein enter, and his guard instantly went up.

It wasn’t that he disliked the doctor, it was just that something in him couldn’t trust the other ego. Schneeplestein’s accent put him on edge, and he was always on edge himself, as though expecting an attack. Chase had said that was because of what Anti had done to him when he had been a captive, but JJ wasn’t entirely sure that was the whole story.

In addition to that, though a much more selfish reason, Chase had started spending less time with JJ since Schneeplestein had returned. He knew he shouldn’t be upset about it, but he felt the loss of his friend’s attention keenly - perhaps more keenly than he should.

“Good evening, JJ,” Schneeplestein greeted, and JJ nodded pleasantly, the doctor’s accent sending chills up his spine. No matter how much he tried to tell himself Schneeplestein meant no harm he couldn’t believe it.

“ **Good evening yourself, good sir** ,” he said in response, pulling the tea bag out of the mug. Perhaps it would be a little weaker than he usually liked, but Marvin would be needing him again.

“How is the search progressing?” Scheenplestein asked, leaning against the bench as he waited for the kettle to boil. JJ didn’t point out that it was still warm from when he had boiled it only moments before.

“ **Slowly** ,” he answered, snatching the milk from the fridge. “ **I believe that Marvin is getting rather discouraged at our progress, but with luck, we shall find the small tikes soon enough.** ”

“And Jackie,” Schneeplestein muttered. JJ didn’t answer, stirring the milk into his tea and Marvin’s coffee perhaps a little too quickly.

The kettle clicked softly and Schneeplestein jumped, eyes darting towards the source of the sound. JJ gave a small start as well, taken aback by the sudden movement. Schneeplestein muttered something in German and JJ gritted his teeth, vague and distant memories resurfacing.

“I apologise if I startled you,” Schneeplestein said, clearly having noticed JJ’s surprise. JJ didn’t answer, placing the spoon in the sink and picking up both mugs, ready to leave. “Jameson, one moment - can I talk to you?”

JJ’s heart started beating quickly and he licked his lips, nodding slowly as he turned to face the doctor. He was gripping tightly onto the handles of the mug, telling himself that he had nothing to fear from Schneeplestein, but unable to fully believe it.

“Chase said you came from the past - is that why you’re hesitant to trust me? Were… you in a war?”

JJ didn’t answer, faint memories of his old life coming back to him. Memories he had tried to forget - nothing about his life before was good. War, dark trenches, guns blazing around him, screams of his comrades. Then the memory was gone, and he could barely remember what he had been thinking of.

“JJ?”

He shook his head, unsure of what he had been thinking about - bad memories. Bad memories he could barely remember. Everything was fuzzy…. before.

“ **I apologize** ,” he said, looking up at Schneeplestein. “ **But… I do believe you are correct. There is something in my past that I can’t fully remember and it’s making me… unsettled around you**.” He let out a long breath, looking down at the mugs in his hands. Everything in him had screamed not to say that, but… he needed Schneeplestein to trust him. He needed to trust Schneeplestein.

“I understand unjustified fear,” Schneeplestein muttered. “And I understand that that would have taken a lot to tell me - so thank you,  _mien freund_.”

JJ nodded, but he was still unsure if he had done the right thing in confiding in Schneeplestein. A large part of him wanted nothing to do with the doctor, wished he had never come back. But he didn’t say anything, just nodded.

“ **I should get back - Marvin will be in need of my aid** ,” he said, half as an excuse to get out of the kitchen, half-truth. Schneeplestein nodded, and JJ turned to leave. But as he did, Marvin appeared in the door himself, eyes flashing excitedly behind his mask.

“Jays, I may have found something! I need you, quick,” he said. JJ looked up, excitement filling him. He dropped both mugs on the table, hurrying after Marvin, vaguely away Schneeplestein was following them.

“Teleportation spell, hidden deep in an old scroll,” Marvin said as he hurried to his room. “Quite an ancient incarnation - so I’m a little nervous about doing it - there’s one bit that looks challenging.”

JJ didn’t answer, knowing it would be difficult to read his speech slide while moving. He came to a stop in Marvin's room as the magician grabbed a scroll, lifting it and rolling it open.

“Here, it’s a Latin chant, but I’m unsure about this bit.” He pointed to a small section and JJ squinted at it. A few words were visible on the old parchment.

“ **What does it say?** ” he asked, looking up at Marvin.

“Oh right, you can’t read Latin,” he said with a slight grin. “Uh, it says… ‘Once the chant is finished, the pendant must not be removed. Only three may pass through the portal’ or something.”

“ **Do you have a pendant?** ”

Marvin shook his head, biting his nails as he did.

“Partly what I’m worried about, I must admit.”

“And there will be more than three of you coming back,” Schneeplestein spoke up. JJ started at the sudden accent, glancing up at the doctor in the doorway. “That may not work.”

Marvin muttered under his breath, tossing the scroll away. He groaned, collapsing onto his bed and falling back, lying, staring up at the ceiling. Laying his hands over his face, he let out a long breath.

“I’m sorry, Henrik,” he said, his voice tense. “I - I’m trying. I just…” He trailed off, letting out a long huff.

“I am sure you are doing your best,” Schneeplestein said, somewhat shortly. JJ glanced up at him, frowning. “I… I know you are trying hard, maybe rest for the night.”

“I need to find them,” Marvin muttered.

“ **We will** ,” JJ said, unsure if Marvin could even see his speech slide. “ **Surely there is something in your many books**.”

Marvin didn’t answer, so JJ assumed he hadn’t seen what he had said. He sighed, settling down in Marvin’s seat, turning to the pile of books and scrolls on either side of him.

“ **We will find them** ,” he said to Schneeplestein. No matter his reservations about bringing a new person home, he was determined to bring them home.

“Please do,” Schneeplestein said, leaving them be and shutting the door behind him. JJ let out a silent breath, staring at the scrolls in front of him. Now he wished he hadn’t left his tea in the kitchen.

It didn’t take him long to get into the rhythm, checking the scrolls carefully. He pulled his monocle out, using it to peer at the small words as he worked his way through the pile. The rhythmic ticking of his pocket watch told him time was passing, and soon Marvin’s soft snores joined it.

He didn’t stop, determined to do it. He wasn’t really sure why, wasn’t really sure if he wanted to even find them, but once he had started, he didn't like leaving things unfinished.

Something caught his attention and he frowned, squinting at the book before him. He angled the desk lamp, peering through his monocle at the words. It was a small note, next to a Latin poem of sorts.

“ _To traverse great lengths in little time - useful_ ”

JJ glanced between the English note and the Latin words. He couldn’t make out anything more than the letters - had no idea what the words meant. Glancing over his shoulder at Marvin, fast asleep where he lay on his bed, he hesitated.

He didn’t want to wake Marvin - he needed his sleep, he had barely slept at all for the past week - but he needed to know what the Latin said.

Chase had said the internet had answers to everything. Maybe it could help with this. He turned to the screen and the keyboard before him, trying to remember what Chase had said about using it.

Carefully, he reached out to the keyboard and hit a key. The screen turned on, sending light into the dim room. JJ blinked, rubbing his eye and squinting at the screen. It was open on a picture of Marvin on stage, dressed in his finest costume.

A browser - that was what Chase had said, right? He needed to… ‘goggle’ what he wanted. Frowning, he squinted close at the screen, trying to find a browser. An icon looked familiar and he pressed it with his finger. Nothing happened.

Letting out a huff, he leaned back in the seat, unsure of what to do. He could wake Chase - but a glance at his pocket watch told him it was about 3am. Maybe he should leave it till the morning.

But his attention was caught by the small black item, resting beside the keyboard. Chase had called that a ‘mouse’ right? He wasn’t sure how it looked like a small rodent, but everyone seemed to use that to control the computer.

Carefully, he laid his hand on it, watching as the small arrow on the screen moved as he shifted it. Fascinated, he moved the arrow around the screen for a while, watching as it danced across the screen.

Shaking his head after a long moment, he slowly directed the arrow to the icon he wanted to open and pressed down on the front of the mouse. To his excitement, the screen changed, white taking over and the letters “Google” sitting in the middle of the screen.

Carefully, he tapped out the Latin phrase, going slowly as he found each letter. Once done, he moved the mouse and pressed the result. To his excitement, blue words showed up, claiming they had translated it.

Eagerly, he clicked it, reading the translation.

This could work. Excitement filled him and he spun in the chair, somewhat startled at how easily it turned. Not caring for the time, he moved quickly to Marvin’s side, shaking him excitedly. Marvin grunted, turning over and JJ ground his teeth, annoyed that he couldn’t call his friend’s name.

He shook him again, and this time Marvin moaned, blinking his eyes open.

“J -wha -” he muttered.

“ **I found something! I believe it could work!** ” JJ said excitedly.

“Wha-?” Marvin muttered, squinting at the speech slide. He blinked as it registered, shooting upright. “Wait what?”

“ **I continued looking after you feel asleep and believe I have found something - I had to use the computer to find a translation but I think it will work.** ”

Marvin scrambled off the bed, almost tripping on a pile of books in his haste to reach the computer. He stared at it for a long while, then looked down at the page JJ had opened. Letting out a long breath, he turned, adjusting his mask, a slow grin covering his face.

“I think we did it, Jays,” he said. “Thank you.”


	7. Chapter 7

The hallway still haunted Chase. He found himself standing at the end, staring down towards the dark form of Anti whenever he closed his eyes. No matter how much he screamed, no matter how much he rushed towards his children’s room, no matter what he did - he still couldn’t save them.

A hand was laid on his arm and he shifted, sensing something beside him, but the clutch of sleep was too much. Someone called his name and he blinked, opening his eyes to see someone leaning over him. For a brief moment, he couldn’t recognise the face in front of him and a sharp shaft of terror shot through him. Then he realised it was Marvin and his beating heart slowed.

“Wha?” he muttered, rubbing his eyes and hiding the piercing fear he had felt. A glance at the clock told him it was about 4:30am.

“We figured something!” Marvin said, excitement dancing in his voice. “We found a spell that works - JJ and I were testing it and it works, and we might be able to do this!”

Chase stared at him, the words sinking in, processing what Marvin had said. Then he shot upright, grabbing Marvin’s shoulder tightly.

“Really? You did it? We can find them?”

“I - I think so. At least we can get to them. I don’t know how we can -”

“One thing at a time!” Chase said, throwing the blanket off him and slinging his feet over the side of the bed. “Let me get ready - I’ll be there in five.”

Five minutes later, he was adjusting his hat as he hurried into the kitchen where the others were already waiting, each nursing a mug of some liquid. Marvin handed a mug of coffee to Chase as he entered, but he placed it back on the table, already wide awake.

“You figured out a spell?” he asked. Marvin nodded, spreading a book onto the table.

“JJ found something will work - it’s a pretty complex spell but we tried it out - I managed to get to Paris and back.”

Chase let out a long breath, rubbing a hand up his arms. Maybe this was it. Maybe he could actually do it. Maybe he could save his children.

“ **There is a small problem** ,” JJ said and Chase glanced up as he speech slide flashed into view. “ **It has a very limited time limit - I shall stay on this side in an effort to keep it open longer but I’m not sure how long I can do it. It is best you are all back through within an hour**.”

“That’s not long,” Henrik muttered.

“It’s long enough,” Chase shot back. It had to be. They had no other option.

“We could keep the portal open long if I stayed on this side - I would even be able to open it again. But you will probably need me over there,” Marvin said, and Chase nodded. He didn’t want to face Anti without the powers of Marvin as backup.

“We won’t meet him though,” he said. “We have the element of surprise - we’ll get in, grab the kids and Jackie and get out.”

Marvin nodded, but he didn’t look entirely convinced, sharing a small glance with Henrik. Chase chose not to notice.

Henrik had been surprisingly quiet during the whole conversation and Chase eyed him with a slight frown. He was sitting, gripping his mug tightly, trying to hide his heavy breathing. It was clear that he wasn’t happy with this idea.

“I’ll start the spell,” Marvin said - putting his half-finished mug down on the counter. “It shouldn’t take more than five minutes.

Chase nodded, picking up his mug as Marvin left the room, JJ hurrying after him. He sat down across the table from Henrik, itching to follow them as well but knowing he wouldn’t be any help.

“You should stay here,” he said and Henrik looked up sharply.

“Y-you may need me - the children might -  _Jackie_ might,” he said, a little too quickly, fear betraying his voice.

“Jack might need you as well,” Chase said, running a finger over the top of his mug. “And you’ll be waiting right here for when we all come back.”

Henrik nodded, some of the fear fading from his eyes. He seemed to relax a little, letting out a small breath.

“Thank you,” he muttered softly.

“I wouldn’t expect you to want to go back there,” Chase said quietly. “And I don’t expect you to go back - stay here and help JJ, Marvin and I can handle it.”

“Do not underestimate him, Chase,” Henrik warned.

“I’ll do my best,” Chase said with a grin. He stood, laying his untouched coffee beside the sink. “But I’m going to need my gun.”

Henrik hesitated for a brief moment but nodded slowly.

“ _Ja_ , wouldn’t want you to go in weaponless. I shall get it for you.”

“I’ll… I’ll hand it back over when they’re safe,” Chase said quietly. He knew they were uneasy whenever he was around guns now. Which was fair enough, really. His hand strayed to his temple, fingers running over the familiar scar. Shaking himself out of his memories, he grinned, adjusting his hat. “Everything will be back to normal soon,” he said, hoping he sounded cheerful.

As he made his way towards Marvin’s room, he turned the phrase over in his mind. ‘Back to normal.’ What was ‘normal’ anymore? Jackie had been gone for nearly two years, Henrik was jumpy and scared of his own shadow, Jack was still in a coma, and Chase’s own brain was working against him.

And Anti would still be out there, even if everything went according to plan.

“Back to normal,” he muttered, knocking lightly on Marvin’s door. “When are we ever going to get  _that_?”

JJ opened the door and he slipped inside, taking in the room. Piles of books had been unceremoniously shoved to the sides of the room and Marvin was standing in the centre, a book in one hand, his eyes glowing slightly green behind his mask. He was chanting in a strange language, his voice low.

“How’s it going?” Chase asked softly, turning to JJ. The younger ego flashed him a thumbs up.

“ **The portal should be open in a few moments** ,” he said.

“Alright,” Chase said, taking a deep breath. The door opened and he glanced behind him to see Henrik, a familiar case in his hand. The doctor held out the case, almost hesitantly.

Chase reached forward, taking it in his hands and opening it. The gun lay nestled inside, a box of bullets beside it. Letting out a long breath, he carefully withdrew the weapon, handing the box to JJ.

The weight felt right in his hands as he held it, but at the same time, he wanted nothing to do with it. His scar seemed to be hurting more and he let out a long breath. He needed to take it - he needed some form of protection.

Loading it only took a few seconds, despite not having done it for a long time. He held the gun to his side, making sure the safety was on, and looked up at Henrik.

“For… him,  _ja_?” Henrik said and Chase nodded.

“Don’t worry. I don’t intend to use it on anyone else.”

Marvin’s chanting fell silent and the three of them turned to face him. He pushed a strand of hair off his mask and grinned, the glow of his eyes fading.

The air seemed to be rippling in front of him, moving as though underwater. Marvin stepped past it and joined his brothers, closing the book and handing it to JJ.

“Ready?” he asked, looking at Chase. Chase let out a long breath, lifting the gun.

“No,” he answered. He had no idea what was beyond the portal, no idea if his children were there - no idea if they were even alive. But he had no other choice. “Let’s do this.”

They stepped through together, the world seeming to bend in on itself. For a brief second, Chase felt like he was floating, unpinned to any reality. Then the world snapped back into focus and he stumbled slightly, finding himself in a long, dark hallway.

Marvin appeared behind him, stepping through with ease. Chase glanced up at him, waiting to follow his lead - this was Marvin’s area of expertise. He raised his gun, flicking the safety off.

“Where are we?” he muttered. Marvin looked around, frowning. He flicked his fingers and a small flame appeared, lighting up the stone walls.

“I’m not sure. I would assume this is where Jackie and the children are being held,” he said quietly. “But where, and who else is here, I don’t know.”

Chase glanced down at his watch, quickly setting a timer for an hour. He looked up again, staring at the hall in front of them.

“This way is as good as any, I guess,” he said. Marvin nodded and they slowly began to make their way forward - Marvin making a small mark on the floor to mark where the portal was before they left.

“Schneep said it wasn’t just Anti here,” the magician said. “Others - probably the ones who did his dirty work before he had the strength to do it himself.”

Chase nodded, not saying anything. He was alert, on edge, tense. What else was here? Where his children even here? What was he doing?

It was quiet as they made their way down the hall. But a noise came from ahead, muted voices as though behind a wall. Soon enough, they came across a door - large, metal and closed. Chase looked ahead, down the hall vanishing into the darkness.

Marvin muttered a spell under his breath and laid a hand on the door, closing his eyes. After a moment, he stepped back, eyes flashing green for a brief second before fading back to normal.

“It’s a barracks of some kind,” he muttered. “Keep going.”

Chase nodded and continued to make his way down the hall, hands sweaty on his weapon. The silence was nerve-wracking - he would almost prefer a group of enemies to this.

But a low giggle filling the hall changed his mind instantly - silence was better. The noise echoed around, the hair on Chase’s neck standing on end. He started, looking around wildly for the source.

“Y͏ou̧ d̡a͏re̕ ̛com͡e i͟n̴to ̕ _m̷y ͢_ d͠om͜ai͞n?” a low, giggling voice asked. Chase looked frantically at Marvin, his gun raised. Marvin’s hands were raised, his eyes glowing faintly.

“Keep going,” he muttered.

“So much for the element of surprise,” Chase shot back. How had Anti known they were here?

“Oh, c̨om̕e̸ ͠no͏w͜.̕ D̕on'͏t ̴be͏ l͢i͟k͝e̕ tha̵t͠.͜ You'̶re h͘ęre no͏w͠ -̢ co͠me ̛and ̡pl̷a̷y.”

Chase gritted his teeth, his heart sinking. Anti wanted this. Anti wanted them to come. It was a trap - and they had walked right into it.

But he refused to turn around. He refused to go back without his children.

“Where are they!” he shouted into the darkness.

“Chase,” Marvin muttered, laying a hand on his shoulder, but Chase shook him off.

“Where are my children! What have you done with them!”

“Th̢e̸y'r͝e safe,̧ fo͟r̵ ̷now. N̨o t̴ha͞nk͏s ̶to҉ de҉a͠r ̕d̷a̛d͡d̨y.” Anti’s voice was low, almost too quiet. A noise came from behind him and Chase jumped, spinning. Marvin cursed under his breath as the door to the barracks opened and a group of men entered the hall.

“Go,” Marvin said, his voice low. “I’ll hold them off - you find them.”

Chase hesitated, eying the small group of men. They seemed to be moving jerkily, their eyes dull - filled with static.

“Ǫh, sincȩ ̧w͟hen ̨w̨er͞e͟ _y̧ơu ͝_ t̶he̢ ̵he҉ro, ͝k͏i͜t ̴k̨a̕t͜?” Anti asked, giggling. Marvin bared his teeth, shoving Chase.

“Find them,” he said. Chase nodded, turning and running, pounding down the hall.

His breaths were coming in short bursts, his legs already aching. The hall ended in a set of stairs and he hurried down them, two at a time.

Skidding around the corner at the bottom, a man came into view. He turned, slowly, jerkily and Chase raised his gun.

“Sorry,” he muttered pulling the trigger. The man dropped, a moan escaping his mouth as his leg could no longer support him. Chase rushed past, dropping and slamming the butt of the gun into his head. He collapsed, his chest rising stiffly the only sign he was still alive.

Chase didn’t stop, hurrying to the door the man had been clearly guarding. He pushed against it, trying to open it, but nothing worked. Muttering a curse, he turned back to the guard, rolling him over to see if he had any keys on him. Nothing.

Glancing towards the stairs, he took a shaky breath, stepping back and running a hand under his hat. This was bad - he had no idea how long Marvin could hold the men off, and he had no idea how he could get into the cell. He didn't even know if Peter, Emily and Jackie were behind that door.

Maybe he could shoot the lock. He returned to the door, examining what held it closed.

“No that's not going to work,” he muttered - for all he knew he could end up fusing the lock and barring it forever.

Marvin suddenly appeared in the door, staggering slightly and leaning heavily on the wall. Chase hurried to his side.

“Woah, hey, you good man? What happened?” he asked, supporting his friend. Marvin allowed Chase to lower him to the ground, a slight grin on his face.

“Sleep charm,” he managed out. “Knocked them all out flat! Took a lot of energy though.”

“You got enough for a locked door?” Chase asked, gesturing to the door behind him. “I think they're in there.”

Marvin nodded slowly, letting out a long breath.

“Yeah, I can do that,” he said, pushing himself up slowly. Chase glanced at his watch as the magician moved to the door - they had only used up about fifteen minutes of time.

“Don't you think it's been… too easy?” he asked quietly. Marvin looked back at him

“Maybe we caught Anti on an off day. Honestly, I don't care - I just want to get them all home.” He laid a hand on the door and muttered something under his breath.

Chase nodded slowly but wasn't convinced. Anti wasn't that easy to fool - he wanted this to happen.

Whatever the case, the door clicked open and all sense of uncertainty Chase had vanished as Marvin stepped back. He moved forward, pushing the door open and stepping into the cell.

It took a long moment for him to adjust to the dim lighting of the room, but as he did two small forms collided with his body, knocking him back a step.

“Daddy!”

He let out a small gasp, wrapping his arms around his children. Both of them - alive! Dropping to his knees, the gun in his hand slipping from his hands, he wrapped his arms around them, burying his fingers in their matter and dirty hair.

“I found you,” he whispered, closing his eye as a tear escaped it. “You're safe.”

“I knew you'd come, Daddy,” Emily said.

Peter shifted, turning around slightly and stepping back towards the darkness. Chase lifted his head, reaching for his son as the boy addressed a figure, crouching in the corner.

“See, Uncle Jackie,” Peter said. “Daddy did come - he's going to take us home.”

Chase stood, picking Emily up in his arms and laying a hand on Peter's hair. The figure in the shadows moved forward, slowly - warily.

He was dressed in torn rags, what clothes they had once been unrecognisable. His beard was long in some points painfully short in others - his hair much the same. Scars, cuts, bruises and burns of all sizes and description covered his body, his eyes skittish and scared in his worn face.

But despite the obvious tolls of two years in captivity, despite the wounds and the scars, despite the matter appearance and haunted look - despite everything Chase knew it was his brother.

“Jackie?” he breathed.


	8. Chapter 8

Everything seemed to be a blur. Jackie wasn’t even sure he knew what was happening, but the moment the door was pushed open and light burst into the room, he pressed himself back, a hand on each of the children.

It was Chase. Was it Chase? By all appearances, it was - Peter and Emily seemed to think so, rushing to his side with shouts. Jackie didn’t move towards him, just slowly standing, tense, unsure of what was happening.

Both children seemed to be at ease, clinging to their father, but Jackie hesitated. This was likely a trick - a ploy by the glitch to torture him even more. It couldn't actually be Chase - not after two years.

Peter turned back to him, holding out a hand and telling him that everything was okay - that they were safe. Jackie stepped forward slowly, still unsure if this was real. How could it be real? His family had forgotten about him. They thought he was dead. This couldn’t be happening.

“Jackie?” Chase said softly, stepping towards him. Jackie didn’t answer, eyeing him closely. He was older - his eyes dark, the once vibrant green of his hair beginning to fade, his beard fuller.

Was it Chase?

“We found you,” Chase said, a slow, bittersweet smile covering his face. “W- we actually found you.” He spun around suddenly and Jackie flinched back to the wall, expecting him to vanish, to turn into the glitch, but instead he just called for Marvin.

“Marv! I found them - I found Jackie!”

Jackie kept one hand pressed to the solid wall - the wall he knew was real, as Marvin entered the room, one hand on the doorway. His hair was long, flowing free down his shoulders. His mask was a clean and white as ever, his cape a little dirty and torn.

Jackie didn’t move, the sudden appearance of two more people overwhelming him. He had spent so long with just the glitch, or the two children - having Chase and Marvin both here made him want to curl into a ball.

Marvin stepped towards him, moving past Chase and the two children. He stopped not far from where Jackie was crouched, nervous, worried - waiting for the glitch to appear.

“Jackie?” Marvin asked. “You’re alive.” He glanced behind him, back out the door and Jackie followed his gaze, half expecting the glitch to be standing there. “Look, we gotta go, okay? Come on - it’s time to come home.” He held out his hand, and Jackie stared at it for a long time.

Home. Home meant a comfortable bed. Warm clothes. Fresh food. Friends - laughter and hugs and late night movies and comfort and  _safety_. Home meant freedom.

Home - was Marvin really offering him that? Could he really be nearly free? Was the glitch going to let him go?

Did he want to go?

Ever since he had bowed his head to the glitch things had been easier - now he was going to throw all that away. The glitch wouldn’t want him to leave, and if he tried to escape and was caught - the thought sent a shudder of fear through him. He didn’t want that.

But he wanted… he wanted to go home. So, slowly, hesitantly, carefully, he reached out and place his hand in Marvin’s. The magician locked eyes with him for a long moment, silent conversation passing between them. Marvin would keep him safe.

“Let’s go,” Chase said, picking his gun up with his spare hand. Emily was clinging to his other, Peter holding onto his leg. Jackie didn’t dare let go of Marvin’s hand.

They moved as quickly as they could, Jackie stumbling as they hurried up the stairs. Stepping over the slightly snoring forms of the masked men who had brought him here, Jackie glanced behind him anxiously, expecting to see the glitch following, waiting for the low giggle. This wasn’t going to work - he had tried to escape before and he was always punished.

And this time he was betraying the glitch after things were starting to get better. What would his captor do when he learned about the betrayal?

“I don’t like this,” Chase muttered, glancing back at Marvin. Marvin shook his head, glancing down the hall as well. “Anti was just talking - what happened to him?”

“He’s letting us go,” Marvin said quietly. “He wants this to happen.”

“Daddy?” Emily asked, and Chase glanced down at her, flashing her an encouraging smile.

“It’s okay, sweetpea,” he said quietly. “We’ll be okay.”

The glitch wants this to happen. Jackie stumbled, regaining his balance and hurrying after his brothers. The glitch was letting him go - the glitch was rewarding him for his loyalty.

Or maybe this was a test. He stooped, suddenly at the thought, Marvin’s hand slipping through his. Marvin turned back to him and Chase stopped ahead, adjusting his grip on the gun, both children sticking close to his legs.

“Jackie?” Marvin asked. “We gotta go, come on, the portal’s just ahead.”

Jackie didn’t answer, his chest heaving. The glitch wanted this - it was a test. He wanted to see what Jackie would do - he wanted to know if Jackie would betray him and run, or stay loyal.

If he ran, the glitch would find him and make him pay. But maybe if he stayed things would get better.

“It’s a test,” he muttered, wanting Marvin to understand - he had to stay. He wasn’t going to risk the glitch’s anger. Not again, it was too hard. Chase and Marvin could get the children to safety but he had to stay.

“What? What do you mean, we’re nearly there come on!” Slight panic was in Marvin’s voice and Jackie flinched at his raised voice. Marvin sounded desperate - but he couldn’t do what he wanted. He couldn't go back, he didn’t want to go through whatever pain the glitch had planned for him should he run.

Chase moved closer, seeing the hesitation.

“Jackie, come on - Henrik’s waiting for you,” he said quietly. Jackie looked up at the name and the longing to go grew. He could go, he could leave this behind, he could go home. But his fear rooted him to the ground.

“He’ll find me,” he said quietly. It was better to stay - even going this far risk the anger of his captor. He couldn’t go through with it - the glitch would all but kill him.

“No. We won’t let him,” Chase said, his voice hard. “He’s not going to find you, alright Jackie? We will keep you safe.”

But Jackie shook his head. Chase didn’t understand - he wasn't able to take on the glitch. No one was. If he left now the glitch would find him, and the glitch would punish him. He couldn’t leave.

So he took a slow step backwards, meaning to turn and move back to his cell.

“Jackie, stop,” Marvin said, a firm note to his voice. Jackie froze at the tone, expecting a sharp burst of pain to follow. “Please come home.”

“I…” He wanted to. He wanted to leave the dark, the pain, the fear. He wanted to go home, to make sure Henrik was alright, to feel the wind on his skin and to be free of pain and fear. But he couldn’t - the glitch would hunt him, the glitch would make him pay.

Besides, he had already bowed to the glitch. He had sworn loyalty - he wasn’t going to be let off that easily.

Marvin sighed softly, his eyes beginning to glow green. Jackie stumbled back, suddenly afraid - afraid of what Marvin would do. He had refused to come, was Marvin going to punish him now?

“Sorry, Jackie - but you’ll thank me for this one day,” Marvin said, then he muttered a spell and stepped forward, touching his finger to the centre of Jackie’s forehead.

“Plea-” Jackie began, tensing for the pain that he knew would follow. But instead, darkness swallowed him and he collapsed forward, into Marvin’s waiting arms.

~*~

Voices surrounded him, soft hands holding him up, light beating on his closed eyelids. Jackie shifted and the voices around him quieted, whispering, talking.

He felt like he was floating, unsure of where he was. A familiar voice broke through his thoughts, muttering words in a language he didn't recognise.

The children. He had fallen asleep.

Gasping, he shot up, eyes bursting open. The children - were they safe? Had the glitch done anything to them while he was sleeping? Stupid Jackie, you have a job to do.

Faces loomed over him and he staggered back, pressing his back into the wall and covering his head with his hands as he remembered what had happened. He hadn’t gone - this was just the glitch sending him nightmares, tricks.

“I didn’t go,” he muttered, wanting the glitch to understand. “I didn’t leave, I wouldn’t leave. I’m sorry!”

“Jackie!” Hands grabbed his shoulder and he flinched, jerking his head up to see a familiar face in front of him. Thin, hair falling into his eyes, glasses slightly crooked. Jackie’s heavy breathing slowed as he took in the face before him.

“Henrik?” he whispered.

“Oh, Jackieboy you are safe.” Henrik said with a small gasp, flinging his arms around Jackie. Jackie tensed, unsettled by the sudden embrace. But Henrik didn’t let go, his arms firm around Jackie’s shoulders, his heart beating evenly, his familiar smell comforting Jackie.

He slowly returned the hug, wrapping his arms around his brother, eyes pricking as he lost himself in his brother’s embrace. Henrik was here, and everything was going to be alright.

“We didn’t stop looking, not after I got back,” Henrik said, not relaxing his grip. “I am so glad you are here now, you are home.”

Eventually, after a long time, Henrik slowly shifted, moving away from Jackie. He reached out, scared to be alone, and Henrik gently grabbed his hand.

“I will not leave you,  _mein bruder_.”

“He - he’s going to find me,” Jackie whispered, looking at the carpet he was sitting on. Carpet - it was soft, not the hard stone he had been sleeping on for the past two years. “He’ll find me, I - I left, he’s going to come for me. He’s going to find me and he - he’ll… he’ll…” He shuddered, pulling his legs close and clutching his knees.

“Jackie, listen to me,” Henrik said, laying a hand on his shoulder. “He will not find you - you are safe now.” He stood, holding out a hand. Jackie looked up, hesitantly taking it and allowing Henrik to pull him to his feet.

He was standing in Marvin’s room, books scattered across the floor and all surfaces. They were alone - the others had clearly left already. Jackie frowned, remembering the children he had been looking after.

“Peter and Emily?” he asked quietly, glancing up at Henrik.

“Marvin is finding a spell for them to forget what has happened. Then Chase will bring them home,” he explained. Jackie nodded, relieved that the children were safe, that they would survive. That they would forget.

Henrik led him to his room, stepping down the familiar hall. He pushed open the door and Jackie stepped inside, taking in the room that had been his.

It was almost exactly as he had left it. His computer was sitting quietly on the desk, his bed made neatly, clothes that had been on the floor now gone. It was clear that the others had been looking after it while he was gone.

“Your room, see?” Henrik said. “I will leave you to get cleaned up.” He slipped his hand out of Jackie’s and made to leave, but the sudden absence of his presence frightened Jackie and he shook his head, reaching out for his friend. “It is okay,” Henrik said, gently cupping Jackie’s hand in both of his. “I will be close by if you need me,  _ja_? But Jackie - you are home now. You are safe.”

This time, Jackie let him go, hearing the door closed behind him as he was left alone in his room. He stepped forward slowly, running a hand over the end of his bed, gently touching the covers. Soft - clean - comfortable.

It was strange, being back. He had longed for this for so long, wanted to come home, wanted to see his brothers, to see his home, to feel safe again. But now that he was here… he didn’t feel anything.

No, that wasn’t true - he felt fear. He was so scared, so scared that this wouldn’t last, so scared that he would wake up and find himself back in the dark cell, so scared that the glitch would find him again, so scared that he would let his brothers down again.

He was terrified - being free was new, and anything new scared him. At least with the glitch he knew what to expect, he knew there was no mercy, there was only pain. That was constant, that he understood.

Standing here in his room, able to do what he liked, to go where he wanted - that scared him almost more than the glitch did.

A flicker of red caught his eye and he turned, walking slowly to the wardrobe and pulling it open. Hanging there, smooth and untouched, clean and patched, just the way he had left it was his suit.

Jackie stared at it for a long time, then slowly - hesitantly -  he reached out and touched it. The fabric was soft under his worn and scared hands, soft but firm, he knew it would be comfortable.

His suit -  _his suit_. It was that moment that he remembered, he remembered who he had been, he remembered whooping in excitement as he flew over the city, adrenalin pumping as he fought off criminals, the rush of pride and happiness as someone he saved thanked him, as he watched those he had helped go about their day, as he made a difference in the world.

His hand slowly dropped, his eyes falling from the suit. That wasn’t him - not anymore. That hero - that hero was brave, that hero wouldn’t cower away from the glitch, that hero wouldn’t be scared to leave his brothers.

That hero wouldn’t call anyone master.

He stepped back, closing the wardrobe abruptly over his suit. He wasn’t a hero anymore - he was simply a failure. He didn’t deserve the suit.

He didn’t deserve any of this.

Why had they even come for him? What could he offer? He was nothing, nobody, unable to protect his brothers, unable to protect his family. Why hadn’t they just left him? It would have been easier, would have been better.

The glitch would find him again - he knew that much for sure. And when he did, Jackie would be punished for it - or worse, his brothers would suffer. They should have just left him, they should have left him in the dark -  _where he belonged_.

He stumbled back, away from the suit, away from the expectations of the others. They would expect him to be like that, to be the hero, to be the saviour. But that wasn’t him, he would only let them all down again.

He backed into the bed and stiffed, startled by the sudden presence behind him. He spun, realised what it was, and let out a muffled sob. He sank to the ground, pressing his back between the wall and the end of the bed and curling onto a ball.

Muffled sobs escaped him, as he squeezed his eyes tight, trying to be as quiet as possible. He was used to crying silently - the glitch didn’t like his tears - and now he didn’t want to bother the others more than he already had.

So he sat there, softly crying, curled into himself, scared. Scared that he would be sent back - scared that he wouldn’t be. Scared that he was going to let his family down, scared that the glitch would find him again, scared, so, so scared.

The person who had lived in this room once had died, long ago. Jackieboy Man had died long ago, leaving only the broken failure that was Jackie.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There'll be no update next week - I'm moving into my University accommodation and want to take time to settle in. Love you guys!

Henrik paced anxiously, hands folded behind his back. He wasn’t sure if he had done the right thing, leaving Jackie alone, but he didn’t know what else to do. Ideally, he would have rushed his brother to his clinic and given him a checkup, but he didn’t want to rush him. Didn’t want to spook him.

It would have been easier if Marvin’s spell had knocked him out for a much longer period of time, but Henrik was just glad that he had come home.

He wanted to charge into the room, wanted to wrap Jackie in a hug and never let go. He wanted to know Jackie was safe, Jackie was alive, Jackie was here, but he didn’t. He continued to pace, continued to wait.

He passed the door to the living room again, pausing to glance inside. Jackie’s room was just opposite, so he wasn’t far if he was needed, but he wanted to know how the children were faring. He had given them a brief check-up while Jackie had still been unconscious, but realistically, should have done more. So, hesitantly, he pushed open the door and joined the others.

Marvin was crouching on the ground, his hand on Peter’s forehead, the eyes of both closed while a bright light came from where their skin met. Marvin was muttering under his breath, whispering a spell that would cause the young boy to forget the trauma of the last few weeks. Henrik wasn’t convinced it would work as well as Marvin said it would, but it would help the children, at least a little.

Chase looked up from the couch, Emily curled in his lap, her chest gently rising and falling as she slept. He looked tired, but a light was in his eyes that had been absent for a long time.

“How’s Jackie?” he asked softly, not wanting to distract Marvin. Henrik shook his head, glancing back out the door.

“Not good,” he said quietly.

“Neither were you,” Chase said. He still wasn’t - they both knew that. And Jackie had been there for far longer than Henrik.

“ _Ja_ , I know. I just… I wish I could do more.”

“You will. He’ll be okay, Henrik.” Chase glanced down at his sleeping daughter, a small smile dancing on his face. The first smile Henrik had seen from him in two weeks.

“I hope so,” Henrik said. But he wasn’t convinced. He wasn’t okay. He wasn’t sure he would  _ever_  be okay, if he would ever sleep a full night without waking up from a nightmare. If he would ever stop jumping at the slightest sound. If he would ever stop flinching at the smallest touch.

And if he was this jumpy, this… this  _broken_ after only eight months? What would Jackie be like? Would Jackie be anything like what he had been before? Before seemed so long ago.

“The kids are fine, right?” Chase said. “I don’t need to take them to a hospital?”

Henrik shook his head. He had found - to his immense relief - that both children were relatively unharmed. They both sported new cuts and bruises, but nothing that wouldn’t heal. Clearly, the glitch hadn’t wanted to hurt them, or had only wanted to use them as hostages.

Or he had taken out his anger on Jackie. But Henrik didn’t want to think about that. He knew how bad it could get - and he knew Jackie wouldn’t let the children be hurt.

‘ _He let you get hurt_ ,’ a voice whispered in his head, but he pushed it aside. They had both done things they regretted in that nightmare.

The light from Marvin’s hand faded and Peter slumped forward into Marvin’s waiting arms. He shifted, muttering to himself, then let out a long breath. Chase looked towards him expectantly, and Marvin grinned, scooping the boy into his arms.

“They won’t remember anything about the last two weeks,” he said. “To them, the last thing that happened was going to sleep here - you might have to come up with a lie to fill in the gaps. Work with Stacy to do it, so you don’t have any contradicting stories.”

“Thanks, Marv,” Chase said. He shifted Emily, adjusting her weight as he stood. “I should get them home before Stacy calls the cops on me.” He tried to pass it off with a grin and a faint laugh, but Henrik could tell he was worried that was actually going to happen.

Marvin stood as well, Peter letting out a sigh as he rested his head on his uncle’s shoulder.

“I’ll help you get them into the car,” he said, trying to keep the exhaustion out of his voice. The two of them left, slipping down the hall with muttered goodbyes to Henrik. As they left, movement on the other side of the room caught Henrik’s attention and his eyes snapped towards it, heart rate rising.

He let out a breath of relief as JJ shifted from where he had been sitting, cursing himself for being so jumpy. The youngest ego gave a small smile and wave in his direction, then slipped out of the room past him. Henrik watched him go - he clearly still wasn’t comfortable around him.

He didn’t mind, really. While he did like the newest member of their little group, after what the glitch had done to him he was hesitant about trusting anyone new. Part of him wished it had just been Chase and Marvin waiting for him.

He shook himself out of his thoughts, turning his attention back to Jackie’s door. He still hadn’t emerged again and Henrik was starting to get worried. He made his way to the door, pausing with his hand raised to knock. He had to know - it had been a long time since he had heard anything from in the room, and he was worried something had happened. He needed to know his brother was okay.

When knocking softly brought no answer, he laid a hand on the handle and gently pushed the door open.

“Is just me, Jackie. Henrik,” he said as he entered. For a heartstopping moment, he thought the room was empty. A rush of panic flushed through him - had Jackie run? Had the glitch found him again? Where was he?

Then he caught sight of him, curled against the bed and the wall, wide eyes peering over his knees towards Henrik. For a split second, the sight of him like that brought Henrik back - back to the pain and the dark and the fear of being a captive and he shuddered, shutting his eyes and fighting off the panic.

He sat down in front of Jackie, crossing his legs and sitting near him. For a long moment, they sat in silence. It all felt too familiar, and Henrik wasn’t sure if it was a good familiar. Everything reminded him far too much of those eight months. Finally, the silence became too unbearable, and he spoke.

“Are you alright?” he asked, trying to ignore Jackie’s flinch as he spoke. He wanted nothing more than to pull Jackie into a hug, to fix everything for him, to take away the fear in his eyes. But he couldn’t - his skills weren’t that good.

Jackie muttered something, and Henrik frowned, leaning forward slightly. Jackie shifted back, not meeting his eyes.

“What?” Henrik asked softly. Jackie still didn’t look up, but his voice was clearer and Henrik could just make out what he was saying.

“You gotta send me back,” he whispered.

“What?” Henrik wasn’t sure he had clearly heard what Jackie had said - why would  _anyone_ want to go back? He had been there. He knew what it was like. He knew the pain and the fear Jackie had experienced and he would never go back. “Jackie - you -” he began, but Jackie cut him off. He moved forward suddenly, grabbing Henrik’s arm, his voice frantic.

“No! No, you have to send me back. Please, please, Henrik. I - I can’t stay. He - he’ll find me. Please, please send me back. Send me back. I’m sorry. Send me back!” He lowered his head, shoulders shaking silently.

“Hey, Jackie you are safe,” Henrik said. He gently laid a hand on Jackie’s shoulder. The older ego flinched back, jerking away from him, his eyes wide. Henrik lifted his hands, Jackie’s grip on his arm falling away. “Please, listen. He will not find you here. You are safe. You are not going back.”

That was the wrong thing to say. Jackie shook his head wildly, his chest heaving.

“No. No I have to go back! He’s going to find me! He’s going to capture me again! I shouldn’t have left. It was a test. Please, Henrik!  _Send me back_!” He lunged at Henrik, fists flying wildly. Henrik stumbled back, suddenly on edge and alert, a flush of panic rushing through him as he grabbed Jackie’s hands.

They locked eyes for a brief moment, Henrik trying to calm Jackie, trying not to break at the hurt and pain and fear shining back at him from Jackie’s eyes. Then Jackie dropped his gaze, long hair sliding over his face as he seemed to wilt, the dismal strength in his arms fading.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m sorry. But please - please, I -I can’t. I don’t. I can’t be…” he trailed off, his voice full of emotion. Henrik shifted, gently pulling him into a hug. This time he didn’t pull away, didn’t flinch back. He relaxed into Henrik’s embrace, shaking slightly.

“You don’t have to be anything,” Henrik said softly.

“I - I’m not,” Jackie whispered. “I can’t be… a hero. I can’t…” he trailed off again, then began anew. “It feels… wrong.”

Henrik knew exactly what he meant. He knew - he felt the same absence, like something was missing. It was strange, strange to be free, strange to be free of fear, to be free of pain. It felt like something was absent - it felt  _wrong_.

He didn’t want to admit it to any of the others, but he almost missed the familiarity of pain.

“I know,” he said softly. “I know, I know it feels wrong, I know it feels… different. But Jackie - you’re safe. Believe me, that is better than anything the glitch could do.”

“He’ll find me,” Jackie whispered. “And - I’m scared, Henrik.” His voice was small, like a child. It felt so wrong to see Jackie like this - to see Jackie scared and broken and lost. Jackie was their protector, their big brother. He was the first to joke around, the first to face down any enemies.

He was the last to ever be sacred.

“We will not let him,” he said in answer, wishing - wishing - that there was something more he could do.

He closed his eyes, drawing Jackie close, trying not to think about how thin and light he was, trying not to think about how he shook in Henrik’s arms, how he was so lost and scared. Trying not to think about how scared he was himself.

And he started to sing.

“ _Bouncing around at the speed of sound_.”

  
Jackie shifted, stiffening and looking up at him, panic rushing through his face. The last time they had dared to sing had ended disastrously. But Henrik didn’t stop - he needed to comfort Jackie, needed to prove to him that he was safe.

Needed to prove it to himself just as much.

_“You’re not alone. You’re not alone._

_No light around,_  
  
Hello, hello.

_Hello, hello._

_You’re so light,_

_But your battery might die._

_I am beyond words, and I don’t know why”_

As the soft words filled the room, Jackie began to relax, his chest slowing to an even rise and fall, his panicked breaths becoming smooth. They would be alright, Henrik was sure. They would survive. 

At least for a little while longer. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates might be patchy for the next few weeks while I figure out a better day to post on :) Thanks for sticking with me, and sorry for not updating last week! I kinda had a bit of a social media hiatus. Love you!

An annoying buzz in his ear woke him. Marvin groaned, trying to pull himself out of his dream fogged sleep. He rolled over in an effort to block out the sound, but it persisted.

Pushing himself up on one elbow, hair falling in his eyes, he woke up enough to realise it was his phone. With a groan, he reached out to grab it, answering and dropping his head back onto the pillow.

“Mmm?” he said as a greeting.

“Marvin, right? It’s Jacob from Rickety Stool.”   
  
Marvin groaned again, closing his eyes. Rickety Stool was Chase’s favourite bar, and this wasn’t the first time Marvin had received a call from its owner. Chase had a knack for getting into trouble.

“Is it Chase?” he muttered, his voice still thick with sleep.

“I’m afraid so. He’s causing quite a disturbance, and you did say to call you before I called the police.”

“Yeah,” Marvin said. He groaned once more, very tempted to leave Chase be and let him face the consequences. A night in jail might do him good.

But he couldn’t do that - if Chase was out drinking again it meant that things had clearly not gone well with Stacy. And she could use an overnight jail trip to push for full custody of the kids.

So he let out a long sigh and nodded slowly.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” he said reluctantly.

“Thank you, sir,” Jacob said, and Marvin grunted, hanging up. He didn’t move for a long moment, wishing he could drift back into sleep. He was exhausted - using that much magic at once had sucked all his energy.

With effort, he pushed himself up, adjusting his mask into a more comfortable position. He hadn’t even bothered taking it off earlier, he had been too tired. Running a hand through his hair, he managed to escape from the call of his blankets.

A commotion was forming in the corner of the bar when Marvin stepped through the door. He could make out Jacob - a tall, dominating figure - standing near them, clearly trying to keep the peace, but he could tell it was about to get out of hand.

He quickly crossed the space, joining the edge of the crowd. Peering through the heads, he saw, with slight disappointment, but not surprise, that Chase was standing in the middle, eyes blazing. He looked ready to fight - and he looked very drunk.

“Y’spilt m’drink,” Chase growled, glaring up at another man. The man was much larger than Marvin’s younger brother and was backed by two other equally large figures.

“Yeah, well, maybe you should have thought about that before barging into our business,” one of the growled, stepping forward and shoving Chase in the chest. He stumbled back, swaying wildly.

Marvin held his breath, praying that he wouldn’t do anything stupid. But Chase was Chase, and anger flashed in his eyes and he snatched up the bottle beside him on the bar. He swayed slightly, paused, then flung the bottle in the general direction of the man who had pushed him.

Given his intoxicated state, Marvin wasn’t too surprised when it missed entirely and shattered on the head of one of the bystanders. For a frozen moment, no one reacted. Then, the victim of Chase’s bad aim let out a loud cry and shoved himself forward.

“Alright then! Is this how it’s going to be?” he demanded.

“Okay, okay, settled down!” Jacob tried desperately, raising his hands and trying to push between the angry crowd and Chase.

“This punk needs to be taught a lesson,” one of the men growled, glaring at Chase. Chase glared right back, snatching up an abandoned shot and downing it.

“Well take it outside then,” Jacob said shortly. “I don’t need any more mess in here.”

“M’not goin’ anywhere,” Chase slurred.

“You sure about that?”

Marvin groaned softly, knowing he would have to intervene soon before Chase got hurt. Despite the temptation to let him get a bit of a beating in the hopes that it would teach him a lesson, Marvin knew he couldn’t let that happen to his younger brother. So, he pushed his way to Chase’s side.

“M’rvin!” Chase called as he caught sight of him. “What’re you doin’ ‘ere?”

“I’m taking you home,” Marvin said shortly, grabbing his shoulder.

“In a moment,” the man Chase had hit with the bottle said sharply, one had pressed to a large cut from the glass of the bottle. “We gotta teach him a lesson first.”

“As much as that is tempting to allow, I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Marvin said, his voice dark. He was too tired to use much magic and he hoped that he wouldn’t have to try too hard to get them to let him go with Chase.

“I don’t think so. If you wanna join him in his beating, I won’t stop you though.”

Marvin sighed softly, letting his eyes glow slightly. He held himself up to his full height, trying to seem as intimidating as possible, eyes glowing, magic making his cloak flow softly. The men stepped back slowly, muttering uncertainly to each other.

“I suggest you let us go,” Marvin growled.

For a moment, he was afraid they would keep persisting. He wasn’t sure what he would do then - he certainly didn’t have the energy to take on four fully grown men and look after Chase.

But too his immense relief, they backed down, the crowd - sensing a fight wouldn’t actually break out - stepping back as well.

Marvin wasted no time, keeping a firm hold on Chase’s arm and all but dragging him out of the building.

“I don’ wanna go, Marv,” Chase complained, trying to pull away.

“You need to come home and sober up,” Marvin snapped. He was tired, he was frustrated and he was angry at Chase. Even as drunk as he was, Chase seemed to sense that and didn’t fight as they made their way to the car.

They were quiet for a long while, Marvin focusing on not crashing in his anger, Chase thankfully noticing the atmosphere of the vehicle. But about five minutes away from the bar, a low whining filled the silence, and Mavin glanced at Chase to see his shoulder shaking.

He sighed softly, knowing what that meant. It meant Chase was in a clingy, needy drunk mood now. He wasn’t sure that was any better than angry drunk Chase.

“I take it things didn’t go well with Stacy?” he asked - anything better than that horrible noise. But it was clearly the wrong thing to say - Chase’s sobs got louder and more pitiful.

“Damnit Chase - I swear I will drop you off on the side of the road if you don’t shut up!”

“Sh - she’s not l-letting me s-see the ki-ids anymore,” he whined, wiping his eyes and looking up. He suddenly gagged and Marvin cursed, slamming the window down.

“Outside!” he snapped, and to his relief, Chase turned and hurled the contents of his stomach out the window - not into his car. He knew from experience that was not a smell that left quickly.

They fell into an uneasy silence for the rest of the drive, Chase occasionally sobbing or hiccuping. Marvin drove perhaps a little too violently, but he was angry and wanted to go back to bed.

Chase leaned on him heavily as Marvin unlocked the door and stepped inside, muttering occasionally. Once inside, Marvin made a beeline for Chase’s room.

“Straight to bed and you can sleep it off,” he said sharply, lowering Chase onto the bed.

“I wanna see Jackie,” Chase muttered.

“Well Jackie doesn’t want to see you like this.”

“You’re being meeaaan he’s my brooother.”

“Jackie needs his rest, alright? If Henrik says it’s okay you can see him tomorrow.” Marvin sighed, pressing clutching the bridge of his nose through his mask. “Damnit Chase, you have to stop drinking like this.”

“Stacy’s fault. She’s being meeaaan.”

“Stacy saying you can’t see the kids is no reason to get wasted at…” he glanced at the clock, muttering a curse. “Chase it’s 4pm.”

“An ‘m not tired! You’re a meany!”

“You need to stop! Alright Chase!” Marvin snapped. He was sick of it. He was sick of picking his brother up, he was sick of seeing him in such a state.

“Stacy’s being mean!” Chase snapped back.

“Stacy’s not in control of your actions!” Marvin shot back. “You are an adult Chase - start acting like it.”

“Why should I listen to you?”

“Because I’m your brother and I hate seeing you like this. Listen to me, Chase -”

“No one likes you though!” Chase shouted.

Marvin flinched. He couldn’t help it - Chase’s words cut too deep. He tried not to let it show, but Chase clearly picked up on the impact that had on him. He stumbled to his feet, swaying, and glared at his older brother.

“No one likes you cause you’re not a favourite. An - an the community never cared about you and Jack didn’t even give you a name so you’re just a big meany!” He shoved at Marvin’s chest, stumbling slightly. 

Marvin spun around abruptly, not meeting Chase’s eyes.

“I’m leaving,” he said shortly, storming out of the room. He didn’t hear Chase’s response as he slammed the door behind him.

He almost made it to his room before Henrik cut him off.

“Marvin - there you are. We must have a talk about Jac-”

“Piss off, Schneeplestein!” Marvin snarled, not in the mood to talk. He tried to ignore the way Schneep recoiled away from him, the bright flash of fear that shone in his eyes as he shied away from Marvin. He didn’t care and slammed the door behind him, leaning against it.

He let out a shaky breath, ripping his mask off his face and flinging it across the room, suddenly not wanting the prison across his face. Sinking down the door, he angrily wiped tears away from his eyes. Crying was foolish - he knew that what Chase said was true. And he knew that Chase didn’t mean it - he wasn’t in his right mind.

But Chase’s words had echoed what he had been thinking for the past few weeks.  Chase’s words spoke too clearly that his secret thoughts were true. He wasn’t liked. The others didn’t care for him.

A flicker of light caught his attention and he looked up to see his computer flash to life. Frowning, he stepped forward slowly, unsure why it had turned on. A message flashed across the screen, a familiar note.

“Fe͟ȩl̵ing d͜ow̛n, ̨ki͢t̸ k͡a̴t̛?̷”

For a long moment, he just stared at the screen, hesitating. Then, slowly, he sank into the seat. He knew he shouldn’t - he knew who was sending the messages, he knew this was dangerous. But somehow, he couldn’t stop himself. 

Who else was there to talk to? 


	11. NOT A CHAPTER (sorry)

Hey guys… 

So. As people have probably noticed, this hasn't been updated for ages. I've not written anything properly for ages.  

A large part of this has to do with my mental health, I think. I’ve been finding it difficult to be creative, I’ve been finding it difficult to do anything but aimlessly scroll. And having the stress of feeling like I need to update stories like Miles to Go hasn’t helped. 

I’ve always intended to finish this story, but it’s adding a whole lot of stress and not helping my health. So… I’m really sorry, but I don’t think this story is going to be finished. Maybe one day, when I’m in a better place I will start writing it again - I certainly have plans I would have loved to share - but at the moment that just isn’t going to happen.

I know I’ve not been around very much, and I’m sorry that Miles to Go won’t be finished. You guys have all been amazing, and I love you all, but I need to take a step back from the community <3


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